The boy who lost it all
by Nightcrawler509
Summary: What if it was only Dick's parents that died? What if Bruce had a choice to adopt him but didn't? The life Dick had after the accident and let's just say it wasn't a happy one. During his childhood he goes through pain. But now at the age of thirteen, see how he comes to meet the heroes and the horrible past he escaped from. Doesn't mean it won't come after him again though... R&R
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1 R**

 **First chapter of a new story in a new day in a new week in a new month in a new year. This story is one I have been thinking about doing a month before joining this site.**

 **I also own nothing except my OC's**

 **And I will continue my previous book but I need to free up some space in my surface.**

 **So sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 ***Flashback start* (Ren has black hair in this so he's not recognizable)**

" _Don't leave me. Please don't leave me" Ren pleaded._

 _Rick's hand weakly caressed Ren's cheek and smiled. Ren leaned his face on his hand and cried._

" _I'm sorry but I have to" Rick croaked._

" _Don't say that you'll make it through this" Ren assured even though he didn't believe it himself. It might have been false hope but it was all he had in the end. It's what happened if your Slade's apprentice, he'd take down anything you believed in and use you as a pawn in his game of chess._

" _We're proud of you, son. We all love you" Rick whispered letting his hand slip down back to his side._

 _Ren's eyes widened and shook his uncle as he faded into a never-ending slumber to join his family. Ren clutched onto his uncle._

" _No, no, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening, not again." Ren chanted, rocking his uncle back and forth._

 _Slade who has been there watching decided to intervene._

" _Sladebots take him to the confinement room"_

 _The three Sladebots obeyed and went to drag the boy. But Ren put up a fight, it took five Sladebots to contain him. They threw him in the confinement room and locked the door. Ren allowed himself to slide down the wall that supported him. He felt numb inside, the realization hadn't hit him yet. His uncle was dead, he had no one left._

 _He had always thought of Ravager as a sister but not after today. It was her fault uncle Rick died. She killed him right on front of him._

 _She started to act differently after Slade got a new apprentice. Her name was Scorpion or at least what she called herself. She had extraordinary skills when it came to weapons but not at hand – to – hand combat. Ravager had taken an interest in Scorpion and they became friends. Renegade didn't like her but he didn't let that stop him for missions or training. They had a mutual friendship but that quickly changed to hate. Ren warned Ravager she was no good but she didn't listen._

 _She (scorpion) had a part to blame in his uncle's death. It happened when they were on a mission. She had been too impatient and charged in only to be taken down by the thugs. The two had no choice but to go after her. Ren carried her back to their base. When she woke up Slade was furious he demanded to know whose fault it was. Scorpion cowered away. She blurted that it was me and Ravager backed her up. Slade looked at Ren who was in shock. He yelled that it wasn't him but Slade didn't believe Ren. He said lying to him came with a cost._

 _Ren shook his head to stop the memories and just curled up into a ball, he wanted this nightmare to end. After what seemed like hours Slade came into the room._

" _I'm giving you one last chance boy. Tell me the truth" Slade demanded._

" _I didn't do it" Ren repeated for the fifteenth time that day._

" _Lying to me comes with a cost" Slade said._

 _Ren laughed hollowly._

" _What more can you hurt me with? You already took away my family, you stripped me of everything" Ren's voice cracked near the end._

 _Slade motioned him to follow and Ren obeyed. He was led into the room where Ravager killed his uncle. Slade switched on the light and watched with amusement as Ren's eyes opened. Before Ren was two cages, one had his uncle's corpse and the other contained his little ten year old sister. Alive but unconscious. Ren ran to her only to be held back by Sladebots._

" _Slade don't do this" Ren pleaded._

" _Too late" Slade growled._

 _Ravager then came in with Scorpion. She sent Ren a look of disgust after turned her gaze to Slade._

" _Master may I do the honours?" Ravager asked, smiling viciously._

 _Slade nodded. Ravager walked toward the cupboard and pulled out a litre of gasoline. Ren's eyes opened even wider as he figured what she had planned._

" _Rose please don't do this. Sparrow's all I have left. She only ten" Ren pleaded as Ravager poured gasoline on them._

 _Ravager ignored him and lit up a match and set them on fire. Sparrow's eyes shot open and screamed as the flame spread all over her body. Ren couldn't take anymore he passed out, he couldn't take the pain._

 _The realization finally hit him._

 ***Flashback end***

 **Ravagers POV**

"Ravager are you ok?" Scorpion asked.

Ravager jumped and noticed she was surrounded by the concerned faces of her teammates.

"Sorry just bad memories coming back" Ravager whispered looking down.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Scorpion asked.

Ravager was about to answer but Batman called them to the mission room.

When at the mission room Batman pulled files and footages.

"Team Bane has been seen in a number of places around Happy Harbour. Here is a footage taken two nights ago."

* * *

 _Bane lifted the frightened man by the collar._

" _Where is he?" Bane demanded._

" _Where is who sir?" The man squeaked._

" _The little blind Niño and his friend" Bane clarified._

" _We don't know, we sent men after them but they returned with injuries and broken bones. They said they were attacked by black blurs" The man answered._

 _Bane tightened his grip on the man. The man whimpered in pain._

" _And the Talon we sent" Bane hissed._

" _He was found near death by the police. When asked, Talon said he was attacked by shadows" The man said._

 _Bane growled and dropped the man._

" _IN TWO DAYS WE GO GET THE LITTLE BRATS! BRING ALL THE MEN" Bane barked storming out of the room._

* * *

"We need to find them before Bane gets to them. By the recent attempts of Bane we come to the conclusion that they live on the outskirts of Happy Harbour. Your job is to find the two, protect them and bring them back for questioning. Any questions?"

Megan raised her hand.

"Yes Megan" Batman said

"How do we know how they look like?" Megan asked.

Batman brought up a picture. It showed two teenagers. The boy had dirt blonde hair, a pale complexion and wore black sunglasses and had a walking stick. The girl beside him also wore black sunglasses and she had brown hair.

"I bet he's just faking it" Wally said.

Artemis slapped him upside the head.

"Why would he be faking to be blind Baywatch" Artemis spat.

Wally ran and hid behind Robin (Jason Todd) who was laughing.

"Nothing" Wally said quickly.

"Poor them. Their defenceless against Bane" Batgirl sighed.

"And that's you're going to go search for them. Now go get dressed you leave in ten minutes" Batman announced.

We nodded and left go get ready.

 ***BREAKLINE***

 **No POV**

"Wonder what Bane wants them for?" Robin asked.

"I don't know but when I get my hands on him he's gonna wish he never laid eyes on them" Batgirl growled.

"Because you love him" Kid Flash teased.

The team laughed at this causing Batgirl to blush. Aqualad saw it and decided to get the attention off her.

"Ms. Martian ETA" Aqualad said in his leadership voice.

"ETA ten minutes" Ms. Martian reported.

Batgirl sent a smile his way as a way of thanks, he nodded his head and looked straight forward.

After a few seconds of silence Robin spoke.

"So BG will you confess your love to your prince charming?"

Once again laughter erupted in the Bioship. Batgirl bowed her head to hide her reddened face.

 ***MISSION TIME***

" _Everyone know what to do and their posts"_ Aqualad said through the mind link.

He got a courses of yes from the team.

" _Ok team move out"_ Aqualad declared.

The teams searched the out skirts for the teenagers for twenty minutes.

" _Guys I found them, they're going into a warehouse but they're surrounded"_ Robin said.

Since the team was near they made it to Robin quickly and sneaked into the building. Once in the building they saw Bane walking around the two smiling. But the two hostages weren't phased, they were whispering to each other.

"Ok team the objective is to get the hostages. Superboy and I will take care of Bane, Robin and Batgirl will get the hostages and the rest of you fight the guards. Robin I want you to throw a few smoke bombs down at the count of three to give us the advantage" Aqualad whispered.

Everyone nodded and got ready in their positions.

"One, two, THREE!"

Robin threw his smoke bombs distracting Bane and his men. As this happened the two teenagers nodded to each other and disappeared.

Everyone stuck to the plan it went perfectly the villains were taken care of but the hostages were gone.

"Where are they?" Artemis said in disbelief.

"Team search the area and see if you can find anything in the warehouse that might be important" Aqualad said.

 ***BREAKLINE***

"I found footage based on test subjects." Robin said giving it to Batman.

"Good job and the hostages" Batman said.

"They pulled a batman" Wally said.

"Ok I'll take this up to the league where it will be played" Batman said

"Can we watch it too please?" Robin begged.

"Fine but you're to leave if you can't handle it" Batman instructed.

They all zeta'd up to the watchtower where Batman and the league sat to see the video.

* * *

 _Project r (renegade)_

 _Ren sliced through the armoured men with his katanas as he ran to the exit. Ren ventured through the temple till he reached a hidden door._

 _He pushed against the door. As soon as he was in, he stocked up on weapons and armour. Ren took a pair of twin swords, a staff and arm and leg guards. Once Ren was done he made it across the bridge where the flag was._

" _Carry this bag of 40 kg bag to the next flag 32 km away through the desert" Ren read._

 _Ren sighed and took the bag and walked to get to the other flag. Ren walked for days and night's non-stop. Enemies came to attack him every now and again. Ren fought back sometimes but the other times he just ran._

 _Ren stumbled through the desert, he fell many times but kept going on the last day rain spread over the desert making Ren's job harder. Ren struggled as every step he took his legs went knee deep in wet sand._

 _Passing the obstacle Ren finally reached the flag but only to see lots of men ready to fight. He dropped the bag and brought out the twin swords he got in the weaponry room. He charged into them and took them down in a record time. When he was done with them he went back for the bag and walked to the flag._

" _Leave the bag and walk to the next destination that was twice the size of this one" Ren read out loud._

 _Ren then passed out. After a few hours he woke up to see he was in his room._

" _You failed young renegade. And failure means punishment" Slade said through the intercom._

 _Two Sladebots came in and dragged Ren and locked him in the containment room. For two days he was kept there with no water or anything whatsoever before Slade came in._

" _Renegade" Slade said but no answer._

" _Renegade" No answer._

 _Slade growled and kicked him hard on the jaw._

" _Renegade you weak little boy. Answer me now" Slade hissed._

"…"

 _Slade then punched and kicked Renegade until he let out a hoarse bloodcurdling scream._

" _This pathetic boy patched up, training starts in an hour" Slade said to his bots walking away._

 _The bots went to get a first aid while Ren laid in his own pool of blood._

 _Ren coughed up blood as the bots put him on a stretcher and went to the med bay._

* * *

The band of heroes stared at the screen in horror. They were all thinking the same thing. _How could Slade do that to a person so young?_

Ravager and Scorpion burst out crying. The team surrounded them.

"Yes I know it was hard on us too" Black Canary soothed.

But Ravager and Scorpion shook their head.

"No we knew him. He was like a big brother to us when Slade took us" Ravager chocked.

The team looked shocked at the girls. Black Canary hugged them and soon they calmed down.

"Can you tell us what you went through please?" Superman asked.

Ravager nodded.

"Well like I said he was like a big brother. He told us his name was Ren. He looked out for us and protected us from killing as much as he could. When Slade was about to make me Talon Ren took my place but refused to take the serum. So every night he would have to leave for the court of owls.

He would always be in a good mood, smiling, joking around and all. But that all changed one day I and Scorpion did something unforgivable to him and he never talked to us again. But there were still a few things he would still do for us. He still took our punishments and helped us improve our skills. But he changed he wasn't happy anymore and he never smiled, he wasn't talkative like before he almost became inhuman.

One day he came into our room covered in blood. He told us it was our time to escape so we took it and went with him. We faced some Sladebots on the way out, one of them activated a lock down but Ren found a small window for us to fit through. As soon we were out Ren locked the window. He stayed inside. We tried to get back in but the building exploded and we got caught in the blast. And that's you came and brought us here".

The team bowed their head and so did the leaguers. Their heart went out to the boy, he would have been a good hero.

* * *

 **First chapter and going on guys. I haven't got much to say just thank you to THELIONWITHIN who gave me advice and bothered to help me.**

 **THANK YOU!**

 **Read &Review Please**

 **Blue out;]**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 r**

* * *

 **Ravagers POV**

We were surrounded by the Mad Hatter's goons, I don't even know how we got here at all. I remembered flying here with the team and then the next thing I knew we were fighting and losing bad.

"Robin do you have a strategy?" Aqualad shouted, taking out a few men.

Robin was about to say something but then two blurs appeared, taking out half of the goons.

"Oh I see we have new guests to the dinner party" Mad Hatter said, looking around. "How about you introduce yourself"

But there was no reply, not even a sound.

"Ok then. Guards find them" Mad Hatter began, "But not after you dispose of these pests".

The goons advanced on us, we got into weak fighting stances as we were too tired. Once again two blurs appeared and knocked out the rest of the goons and tying them up.

Our mouth hung open as this happened. We didn't even see who it was just two blurs. How could a thing or someone be that fast?

Mad Hatter called out more goons, it was double the goons then last time but just then the Justice League appeared jumping into battle. We fought alongside them until they were all down.

We advanced on Mad Hatter. He was about to run but the two blurs circled him, punching him at his defenceless areas until he fell, they tied him up and disappeared.

"What was that?" Flash asked.

We all shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as ours" Robin said.

The leaguers put the conversation aside and called the police to pick them up. As soon as the police left we were about to walk to the ship when Kid Flash let out a scream and clung onto Batman.

"What!" Batman growled.

Kid Flash pointed up to the corner of the ceiling. We all looked up to see two pairs of eyes. One pair red and the other white. Everyone jumped back but I didn't. I felt like I knew those pair of eyes.

We all stayed silent for a while. A grey hand reached out from the darkness and pointed towards a dark corner.

"You want us to check the corner?" Black Canary asked.

No answer.

Batman pried Kid Flash off and made his way to the corner with us not far behind. Batman reached out for the wall and found a door. He opened it to reveal barrels of Joker gas and a pile of papers saying where Joker's hideouts were and where he hid his 'bundles of joy' in his words.

"But how did the person know?" Wonder Woman asked.

Batman ignored her and walked out of the room. He looked at were the eyes were he could see them exiting through the roof.

"Wait" Batman called running after them.

We all followed his lead and chased after them. We got onto the roof and saw Batman running and jumping building to building. We ran after them.

We finally caught up with him and saw that the two were capes (or cloaks whatever) and were moving so fast I could barely see them.

"Martian Manhunter use your power to stop them, Flash and Kid Flash run ahead, Wonder Woman, Superman, Hawkwoman and Ms. Martian fly over to them and get them." Batman ordered.

They all did as they were told but failed. Martian Manhunter send grenades (as in telepathic ones) at them but it had no effect on them. The two speedsters ran after them but for some reason weren't able to catch up, every time they tried to the two mysterious figures picked up their pace. Wonder Woman, Superman, Hawkwoman and Ms. Martian didn't have any luck either. Wonder Woman tried to catch them with her lasso of truth while Ms. Martian moved objects to block they're way but that didn't stop them. Hawkwoman and Superman swooped down to grab them but you know how that ended (EPIC FAILINGNESS!)

 **Batmans POV**

I growled in frustration. _How could they run so fast and not be tired_ I thought. I just wanted to question them and maybe have them join the team. We got a distress signal from someone unknown, it must have been them. But how did they hack into the league's computer, I did design them. I started to slow down, I couldn't keep up with them. I stopped my train of thought as they turned the corner.

We turned only to see they weren't there. But then the eyes appeared again. A different hand appeared and pointed at a rundown warehouse the team had gone to so they could get the two hostages.

I was about to ask why but then I heard a familiar crazy laugh and the screams coming from the warehouse.

"Team you take out the guards, leaguers you make sure the hostages get out" I ordered.

Everyone nodded. We made our way into the warehouse. I and the team stepped out of the darkness.

"Batsy you're here, I've been waiting" Joker laughed, lunging toward me with his crowbar while the goons went for the team.

I dodged the crowbar by an inch. Then uppercut him, it would have knocked him unconscious but I was too tired after the chase. I played defence as the league freed the hostages. When the hostages were out of the building I dodged Joker's punch then delivered a roundhouse kick to his head. And this time he stayed down.

I turned around to see the team still fighting but I didn't see Robin. I went into overload and ran to the roof on pure instinct. By the time I got there two goons threw Robin off the building. Robin let out a scream. I ran and took out the two goons. I was about to jump after him but a blur came out of nowhere, wrapped Robin in their cape and broke his fall. I looked down to see a dark figure in a crouch position and Robin clinging onto him for dear life.

I ran down the stairs and out the front door with the others looking confused but still following. As I got closer I heard Robin saying thank you again and again. Another figure joined him taking Robin's hand (which he took gratefully) to calm him down. I stopped in front of them with the team not far behind. The cloaked (they have hoods on them. Raven style) one carefully placed Robin in my arms. And turned to walk away.

"Wait – I" Robin said jumping out of my arms and stumbling after them.

The two figures caught him.

"Don't leave, come with us please" Robin pleaded.

The two looked at each other and nodded hesitantly.

"This way to the ship" I said walking toward the ship.

The two followed, one carrying Robin and the tailing beside them holding Robin's hand. When they boarded Martian Manhunter morphed two seats alongside each other for the two and flied the ship toward the Mountain.

Silence was heavy in the ship. It would usually be ok to me but something about the two made silence odd. The only noise heard was Robin yawning and wrapping himself in the figure's cape.

"So do you guys have names?" Kid Flash asked.

We all stared at the two for a response but they didn't even move, they just stared straight ahead.

"Do you have any powers?" Wonder Woman (hate her) attempted.

No reply.

"Why do I feel like I know both of you?" Ravager asked.

Yet no reply.

Ravager sighed and left it at that.

The rest of the flight was in silence. It was clear they wouldn't be answering any question.

When we reached Mount Justice Black Canary and Red tornado were waiting, worried. They dropped into fighting stances as they saw two strangers but I raised my hand to stop it.

 **Robins POV**

The figures brought me to the medbay after Batman raised is hand. They were all probably wondering why I was so attached to the two and the truth is I don't know. Something made me feel safe with them, like I've met them before.

The figures gently placed me on the bed and then backed away to let Black Canary check my injuries.

"You have two broken ribs and bruises and that's all" Black Canary sighed in relief.

"Thanks for saving my life" I thanked.

The two figures nodded.

"Who are you if you don't mind me asking?" I asked.

One figure whispered into Robin's ear and made sure Superboy and Superman couldn't hear.

"I'm Mystique and he's Red X but don't tell anyone" Mystique whispered, poking me in the stomach playfully.

I let out a small giggle which turned into a blush when Red X winked at me.

"What's their names?" Kid Flash asked eagerly, zooming to my side.

"Sworn to secrecy KF" I tutted, zipping my lip and throwing the key away.

"Dude!" Kid Flash exclaimed.

"Nope" I smirked.

Kid Flash pouted and crossed his arms. I laughed and turned toward my attention toward the two.

"Will you be staying?" I asked.

The two shook their head and walked away. I jumped out of bed in lightning speed and latched onto them.

"Let us introduce ourselves" Aqualad said to release the tension.

I then got nudged by Red X, I stared up at him for a minute and nodded.

"Aqualad no need" I said.

"Pardon?" Aqualad frowned with confusion clear on his face.

"He said they knows we are already and knows the league's identity" Robin stated.

The league's eyes opened wide and the team gasped.

"And you're okay with this!" Artemis shrieked.

"Yeah I don't know why" I shrugged.

"How do you know their identities?" Superboy demanded.

Mystique and Red X stared at him but said nothing.

"Don't play with me" Superboy growled.

Aqualad and Artemis blocked his path. I looked at Red X and translated one more time.

"Superboy they don't want to hurt you" I said.

Superboy raged and pushed Aqualad and Artemis away, managing to knock over Megan.

"I'LL SHOW THEM HURT!" Superboy roared as he ran toward them.

Mystique and Red X pushed me behind them. Red X pulled out a red rock slowing down Superboy quickly. But that didn't stop Superboy completely as he aimed a punch at Red X but the duo stepped forward and uppercut him. It send him flying through the wall; Megan rushed to Superboy's side, helping him up.

The league were blown out of their minds after seeing that.

"What the hell? How could that be?" Flash whispered.

"Was that red kryptonite?" Superman face paled.

"That punch" Black Canary said in disbelief.

"Damn four walls through" Artemis whistled.

I held onto Red X and Mystique from the back and looked up to them. M y eyes full of hope.

"Can you guys stay?" I asked.

They shook their head. I lowered my head in disappointment. The two knelt down to my level.

"Here if you behave well enough until the next day we meet we'll upgrade your bike to go faster than Kid Flash and even faster than the batmobile. But don't tell Batman, It'll be our secret. " Red X whispered.

"Really" I asked.

The two nodded. Mystique ruffled my hair causing me to giggle. Red X shook my hand and whispered that I could tell Artemis she could get one if she wanted and tell her mom the blur said thank you before standing up with Mystique and disappearing into thin air.

Wally sped over to me.

"What did they say?" He asked eagerly.

I shook my head and crossed my arms. Wally stomped his foot down like a kid.

"Dude I'm your best friend. Why not?" Wally whined.

"Reason one: It's not my place. Reason two: I won't betray their trust. Reason three: They don't like you and the Flash. Reason 5: The only one they like here is me and Artemis." I listed.

Artemis smirked at Wally who stuck out his tongue. The Flash frowned.

"Why me?" He asked childishly.

"You talk too much" I stated.

Flash frowned even more while Superman put a hand on his shoulder as comfort.

"Does he like any of us?" Superman asked.

"I don't know but I think he doesn't like supers something about being idiots" I said in pure innocence, trying to keep my smirk from surfacing.

Superman and Connor just crossed their arms.

I laughed and walked to the sitting room. The team followed as the leaguers left. We all were doing our own things. Megan was cooking, Wally was flirting with her, Kaldur was reading Harry Potter and the goblet of fire, Connor was watching static, Artemis was cleaning her arrows and Batgirl left.

I went over to Artemis.

"Hey Artemis the two told me that next time we see them they'll upgrade both our bikes to go faster than the Batmobile. Oh and to tell your mom the blur said thank you" I whispered.

Artemis face showed pure shock and confusion.

"But why me" Artemis asked.

"I dunno but think about it the batmobile is faster than speedsters" I said in a sing song voice.

Artemis smiled and nodded.

"Can't wait" She said.

Batman came in and signal me to come along. Me and Artemis high fived each other. I ran after Batman and zeta'd away.

 **Batmans POV**

I listened as Robin talked about the two figures. It went on as we reached the batcave. Alfred raised an eyebrow at me.

"I see you had quite the adventure Master Jason" Alfred smiled.

"Yeah they're so cool I can't even find a word to describe them" Robin exclaimed.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. He never acted this way with me but I was probably because he doesn't know anything about them.

"You like them already?" I asked.

"Yeah but they seem sad, like they only have each other you know?" Jason whispered.

I nodded and pulled him into a hug.

"Maybe they'll like to join the team soon" I suggested.

Jason grinned as he jumped up and down.

"Yes we'll have so many awesome adventures together and I'll finally have someone to troll with and play pranks with and hang out with and be best friends and someone who can help me with homework and -" I stopped him right there as his face was beginning to get red.

"Take a breather or two" I said slowly.

"And I'll finally have someone who understands me" Jason finished.

I lifted up an eyebrow and so did Alfred.

"Don't we?" I asked.

"I mean in a trolling way" Jason explained.

Me and Alfred nodded.

"Anyways I'm going to bed" Jason announced, clapping his hands together.

"But it's only nine o'clock" Alfred said shocked.

"I know but you know what they say. The early bird catches the worm" Jason stated.

"Goodnight"

"Goodnight Master Jason" Alfred said weakly.

Alfred looked at me in confusion, I just shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine".

* * *

 **So what do you think? Liked it? That's good to hear. Anyways if you want something specific you know what to do.**

 **So if you're wondering Mystique and Red X are going out because they can. And for Red X played by Dick still has a bit of his original history. Like Bruce was there, His parents fell but not the whole family only the parents, Slade hired Tony Zucco to the circus and so on. Dick will not reveal his real name in this story at all, he refuses even though he's on the team. I might get Batman to try and find out but of course he'll fail.**

 **The reason Jason feels ok around them it's because he saw their acts a couple of times and even got an autograph and picture of them when he was young but he doesn't know that. Megan and the others try to find out but they leave no clues or ties to their past, a few people helped them but wouldn't breathe a word.**

 **If you have any questions that need answering don't be afraid to private email me. I don't bite the way Red Robin says Nightwing does in the book 'Counterfactual'. Teehee**

 **Don't forget to** **Read &Review**

 **Blue out;]**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3 R**

 **Next chapter guys! I love writing this story because there is not enough of these types. All the ones I read Dick is afraid of Slade. In my story I don't want that I want Dick to be strong willed. I'd like to see a story where the author goes out of their protective zone. And that's what I'm doing now. To find the right thing for you and work on it.**

 **So enjoy.**

* * *

 **Robins POV**

I couldn't help it, I had to go back to the warehouse. Maybe there would be more clues of what happened to Renegade. I didn't know but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I got some more footages and left. As I walked through the mountain I was confronted by the leaguers and team.

"Where have you been?" Batgirl asked.

"Out and about. Nothing to worry about" I shrugged.

"NO! It's not alright. You could at least have informed me or Batman" WW said.

"You're not my mom and never will be" I growled.

"Robin where did you go?" Batman asked glaring at WW.

"I went back to the warehouse and found more footage" I sighed.

"Can we play it?" Wally asked.

The others nodded, good thing Ravager and Scorpion weren't here.

* * *

Batman sighed and played the footage. Everyone went quiet to hear.

" _Don't leave me. Please don't leave me" Ren pleaded._

 _Rick hand weakly caressed Ren's cheek and smiled. Ren held in to his hand and cried._

" _I'm sorry but I have to" Rick croaked._

" _Don't say that you'll make it through this" Ren assured even though he didn't believe it himself. It might have been false hope but it was all he had in the end. It's what happened if your Slade's apprentice, he'll takedown anything you believed in and use you as a pawn._

" _We're proud of you, son" Rick whispered letting his hand slip down back to his side._

 _Ren's eyes widened and shook his uncle as he faded into a never-ending slumber to join his family. Ren clutched onto his uncle._

" _No, no, no, no, no, no" Ren chanted, rocking his uncle back and forth._

 _Slade who has been there watching decided to intervene._

" _Sladebots take him to the confinement room"_

 _The three Sladebots obeyed and went to drag the boy. But Ren put up a fight, it took five Sladebots to contain him. They threw him in the confinement room and locked the door. Ren allowed himself to slide down the wall that supported him._

 _His face held no emotion as if he was numb. Ren shook his head as if to stop the memories and just curled up into a ball. After what seemed like hours Slade came into the room._

" _I'm giving you one last chance boy. Tell me the truth" Slade demanded._

" _I didn't do it" Ren repeated for the fifteenth time that day._

" _Lying to me comes with a cost" Slade said._

 _Ren laughed hollowly._

" _What more can you hurt me with? You already took away my family, you stripped me of everything" Ren's voice cracked near the end._

 _Slade motioned him to follow and Ren obeyed. He was led into the room where Ravager killed his uncle. Slade switched on the light and watched with amusement as Ren's eyes opened. Before Ren was two cages, one had his uncle's corpse and the other contained his little ten year old sister. Alive but unconscious. Ren ran to her only to be held back by Sladebots._

" _Slade don't do this" Ren pleaded._

" _Too late" Slade growled._

 _Ravager then came in with Scorpion. She sent Ren a look of disgust after turned her gaze to Slade._

" _Master may I do the honours?" Ravager asked, smiling viciously._

 _Slade nodded. Ravager walked toward the cupboard and pulled out a litre of gasoline. Ren's eyes opened even wider as he figured what she had planned._

" _Rose please don't do this. Sparrow's all I have left. She only ten" Ren pleaded as Ravager poured gasoline on them._

 _Ravager ignored him and lit up a match and set them on fire. Sparrow's eyes shot open and screamed as the flame spread all over her body. Ren couldn't take anymore he passed out, he couldn't take the pain. Even as he was unconscious tears stained his face._

* * *

The heroes looked at the horror that just happened. Connor slammed his fist down.

"When I get my hands on him" Connor growled.

"Do you still want to see the next footage?" Batman asked.

The heroes nodded, putting on brave faces.

* * *

 _Ren woke up a day later after he passed out from . . . that day. He didn't move as he opened his eyes. He stared at the wall. He wrapped the Russian army jacket around him. He began to hum to himself._

 **(Type that up on YouTube 'Leeandlie Reluctant heroes')**

 _There was a knock on the door. He didn't answer. Ravager walked in and brought over a chair to sit on. They stayed there in silence before Ravager began to speak._

" _Look Ren. I'm so sorry, I don't know what was going through my head. I guess . . ." Ravager's voice faded._

" _Ren please talk to me" She pleaded._

 _Ren sat up slowly and stared at god knows what._

" _I don't ever want to see you in this room again unless if it's for training, missions or a message from Slade. I don't want you around me or you talking to me" Ren informed her._

" _Ren" Ravager began._

" _It's Renegade to you now" Ren stated._

" _Renegade please don't do this to me. To us" Ravager pleaded._

" _And now you're pleading me to stop. But what about me? Did you not hear mine that day?" Ren laughed hollowly._

" _Renegade I'm sorry" Ravager sobbed._

" _No I'm sorry. I'm sorry I showed you pity when nobody else did. I'm sorry that I fought Slade for a chance to go outside once four times a month for you. I'm sorry I treated you as a sister despite of your dad. I'm sorry I first ever talked to you when you were lonely. I'm sorry I took your punishments and I'm sorry that I met you and I regret all the memories that I have of us" Ren responded._

 _Ren stood up and opened the door._

" _Get out" Ren said._

 _Ravager nodded and left. Ren closed the door and lied back down on his bed but it wasn't long until he stood up. He looked at himself in the full body mirror at the side of his room. He saw himself but not really, he saw his flaws his dull brown eyes and his dark brown hair._

 _Ren punched the mirror, large shards of glass came off it. He took out his fist that apparently went through the wooden board in the process. Ren looked at the broken shards that remained on the frame._

 _They were broken, just like Ren. They were unfixable, extendable like Ren. But refused to fall apart easily. If they were broken, they could stick pierce the skin. They would stay strong and stayed indifferent. Like Ren would be soon._

" _Falcons always fly with their claws facing the ground to catch their prey." Ren whispered._

 _Ren slowly turned his gaze to the camera and glared at it. He took out a knife and threw it with deadly accuracy._

* * *

"Oh Hera" WW whispered.

"So that's what they did?" Megan sobbed silently.

"I'll destroy the footage" Batman left the room and took the footage with him.

For me I couldn't move but it didn't explain what happened to him. I turned to leave, to go home but I was stopped.

"Where do you think you're going?" WW demanded.

"What's it to you" I replied.

"I forbid you from going back to that warehouse again. Do you hear me?" WW stated.

"Leave me alone. I don't need to be told what to do by a person who doesn't fit in" I snarled.

I walked away but then I was grabbed by the arm.

"No you will listen" WW said.

"You're not my mom so don't try to take her place" I said firmly.

"Well I'm a better choice than your dead drug addict of a mother" WW realized what she just said.

I stabbed her arm with my batarang. As soon as she let go I ran to the garage. I got on my R cycle and drove away to the old Gotham railway.

 **Batmans POV**

I walked back into the room to see Wonder Woman with a batarang in her arm.

"What happened and where's Robin?" I asked.

"Let me show you" Manhunter said.

I nodded and closed my eyes.

" _Where do you think you're going?" WW demanded._

" _What's it to you" Robin replied._

" _I forbid you from going back to that warehouse again. Do you hear me?" WW stated._

" _Leave me alone. I don't need to be told what to do by a person who doesn't fit in" Robin snarled._

 _Robin walked away but then he was grabbed by the arm._

" _No you will listen" WW said._

" _You're not my mom so don't try to take her place" Robin said firmly._

" _Well I'm a better choice than your dead drug addict of a mother" WW realized what she just said._

 _Robin stabbed her with my batarang. As soon as she let go he ran to the garage. He got on his R cycle and drove away._

As soon as I opened my eyes, I glared at Wonder Woman.

"If I ever see you lay a hand on my son again, it'll be the last thing you do" I threatened.

I went over to the computer and tracked down Robin movement.

"Gotham railway" I read out loud.

I was about to leave but just then I got a call. I accepted the call.

"Batman we have a problem" Jim Gordon said.

"What's the problem?" I asked.

"The Joker and Harley are down at Gotham railway" Jim responded.

I ended the call and bolted to the Bioship with the team following. We were in the air in no time.

We flied to Gotham in silence.

"Batman I'm sorry" WW whispered.

"If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive you" I growled.

It went quiet again. I couldn't help but think about my son. I prayed to all the gods I could think of to save him from the Joker.

I got a message on my hologlove.

It was from the mysterious figures.

 **Robins POV**

I struggled against the chains. I was stripped of my weapons when Joker caught me wondering about. I should have paid attention to my surroundings. I was too busy crying and moping to notice they were following me. And look where that got me. Tied up to a chair with the Joker and Harley in front of me.

"Ah Boy Blunder you're finally awake. Don't worry I won't make you sing this time. I've got better plans" Joker's voice went dark at the last sentence.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"Oh you'll see soon. It'll be a _blast_ " Joker broke down laughing.

An alarm then went off. The Joker brought up a surveillance camera.

"Let's see who crashed our party" Joker grinned.

" _ **Team listen up. The leaguers will deal with the Joker and Harley Quinn, you will battle with the goons" Batman ordered.**_

 _ **They moved out.**_

"I'll leave you here to watch. Tell the big man I said hi" Joker laughed.

When they left I heard a soft beeping noise I turned around to see a bomb set to explode in six minutes. I forced myself to calm down and looked back at the camera.

 _ **The team managed to knock out a few goons but more kept on coming. Kid flash create a tornado to round up some of the goons. Megan threw grenades at them, making them wear down. Superboy then knocked them out when Kid flash sped away. But they were knocked out too when one of Joker's men threw a real grenade at them. Aqualad was down after they surrounded him with fire, leaving Artemis standing.**_

 _ **Artemis dodged their attack as she ran out of arrows. Artemis was thrown onto the railway and glued on by Joker putty. Artemis eye's widened as she heard a train coming her way.**_

The screen suddenly went black.

"No" I whispered.

I looked back at the bomb to see I only had fifty seconds left. I felt a gush of hair hit me. I turned to see Red X. He tried to break the chains but to no use.

"It's made of steel" I informed.

Red X nodded and began to drag me to the far side of the room. As soon as the bomb read thirty seconds the building went on lock down. Red X shot an X at the chains dissolving them. The bomb read fifteen seconds.

I crouched down and braced for explosion. Red X wrapped his cape around me. I looked up at him.

"But what about you?" I asked, sticking my head out of his cape.

Red X put my head back in the cape and held onto me tightly.

The bomb announced the final seconds.

 _5…._

 _4…._

 _3…._

 _2…._

 _1…_

 **Batmans POV**

We defeated the Joker and Harley. I ran to the building the Joker told me.

' _Hold on Robin I'm almost there'_ I thought.

I was 5 feet away from the building when it exploded. I cover myself with my cape. The explosion took the building down. As soon as the flame died down I ran toward the remains but the leaguers tackled me to the ground.

"Robin! Robin!" I called out.

"Batman he's gone" Superman whispered.

"No he's not" I screamed.

"Goddammit Batman. Stop being stubborn, he's gone" Green Arrow exclaimed.

Suddenly a noise came the wreckage. A dark figure appeared holding Robin. I pushed the leaguers off me and ran over to them.

"Dad" Robin clung onto me.

"Thank you" I said to the figure.

The figure fell onto his knees. Robin caught him before he could fully touch the ground.

I lifted him up and made my way to the team. When we arrived we saw the team surrounding someone. As I got closer I could see Artemis holding onto the cloaked girl.

"She covered me from getting hit by a train" Artemis pointed at the wrecked train with tears flowing from her eyes.

Robin lifted her up and led the way to the Bioship. I and Robin held onto them, never letting anyone hold them.

"Do you think they'll live?" Artemis asked.

"They'll be fine. They're not dying on my watch" I confirmed.

"Why are you so protective all of a sudden?" Superman asked.

"Because they rescued the team and Robin even if it meant putting themselves in the line of fire. And this boy kept an optimistic mind that Robin would still be alive. Unlike some of you" I glared at the leaguers.

"We're here" Miss Martian announced.

Robin and I went immediately to the medbay. We laid them onto the beds and hooked them up to the machines.

"We'll let you know when they wake up." Robin said but mostly to Artemis.

Artemis smiled and gave him a hug before leaving like the others.

* * *

 **Another chapter done. 7 pages on document word. It took me five hours to write this chapter. So what do you think of the story? Leave a comment or private email me.**

 **There will be no Spitfire at all. I always ignore a story because there is either chalant or spitfire or supermartian. It's not like I don't like supermartian it's ok if I read a story with it in the story but if it revolves around them I'm gone.**

 **I'm very picky when it comes to pairings. I'll read birdflash as long Robin wears ze pants (and yes I was meant to spell it that way). I love traught, it's BAE! I like shadowwing my OC and Dick but you'll see why later on.**

 **That's all for Folks!**

 **Blue out;]**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4 R**

 **I'm back with a new chapter guys. Have you been reviewing? Huh, you have thanks guys!**

 **This book will continue but I might take a longer time to publish the next few chapters.**

 **I own nothing except my OC's. Nothing more and nothing less (Fall out boy- American beauty. Pretty good song.)**

 **Should Ren and Mystique be friends or a couple?**

* * *

 **No POV**

Robin woke up in Batman's arms. He smiled and snuggled into him. He was happy he was with his dad. After last night he just wanted today to be a care free day.

"Morning my little bird" Batman smiled.

"Hi dad" Robin hugged Batman.

"Dad I'm sorry. I was just so angry and . . . I-I thought I wouldn't see you again and the thought of . . ." Robin burst into tears.

Batman rocked Robin gently.

"It's ok Robin. It wasn't your fault, I'm just happy you're save" Batman soothed.

Robin held onto him even tighter. Batman whispered sweet nothingness into his ear until he calmed down.

"We should check in with the two" Robin suggested.

Batman nodded; the two walked to the medbay to see the team and a few leaguers were waiting outside the door.

 **(A/N: Ravager and Scorpion are going to be gone for the month)**

"Finally we've been waiting" Wally exclaimed.

"Can we go in?" Artemis asked.

Batman opened the door. They walked in eagerly. The heroes saw that the dark duo weren't on their beds. But were in cocoons upside down on the ceiling?

"What the hell?" Flash said.

Superman walked up to one of the cocoons. He was about to touch it when it turned into two blurs and attacked him. Superman found himself kissing the floor with his arms locked in place. He struggled with all his might but the two had a death grip on him.

"Calm down, we didn't mean to alarm you" WW explained.

The two let go of Superman.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! HA! You got your butt kicked by two teenagers" Flash and GA laughed in unison.

Superman went red and slapped the two on the head.

"It's not funny" Superman muttered.

"Are you alright from the train incident?" Artemis asked the girl.

The girl nodded and pointed to her knee to show that she just had a limp. Robin looked at Red X. "Are you ok?" he asked. The teen nodded. Robin suddenly latched onto him.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to put you in danger. I was just angry that I needed to leave and I should have been more observant but I wasn't and I'm really sorry" The figure tensed but put a hand on Robin's shoulder as a sign of forgiveness.

"Do you have names?" Superman asked. Robin looked up at them.

"This is Red X and Mystique" Mystique took down her hood but Red X didn't. Mystique had tanned skin, black hair and glowing white eyes.

"Nice to meet you" Batman said. They both nodded. "Do they not talk?" Megan asked. "No they do but they just don't trust you yet. Well not all of you" Robin translated.

"Why not?" Superman frowned. "We're trusted by the world"

"All because they trust you doesn't mean you're truly trusted" Mystique said in a grave voice.

"She's talking!" Megan cheered but soon stopped when the two stared at her.

"What do you mean?" WW asked. "She means even if you're a hero you have to earn their trust and respect" Batman clarified. Wonder Woman nodded.

"Would you like to join the team? After the help you gave us it's the least we can offer you" Batman asked. The two stared at each other.

"You would be a great asset to the team" Batgirl said. The team nodded.

"You managed to hack my holocomputer. Your hacking skills would come in handy on missions" Batman added, ignoring the shocked look on the league. Robin looked up at them pleadingly.

"You'd really be needed" Robin pleaded. Red X and Mystique shook their head once more.

"Can we at least know your real names?" Artemis hoped. The dark duo shook their heads.

"Why not?" Wally whined.

"Do you respect Batman's privacy?" Mystique asked.

"Of course" Wally nodded.

"Then respect ours" Mystique deadpanned.

Wally scowled. Artemis slapped him on the head to shut him up. "So about that offer" Robin brought up. The figures nodded to say it was done. Artemis and Robin ran to the garage and gasped at the sight of their slick rides shining under the lights.

"Thank you so much" Artemis and Robin said in unison. They hugged the two. The dark duo looked very tense and uncomfortable but stood there. "Do you have to leave? Why not join the team?" Batgirl whined.

"Can I have a moment alone with Red X?" Batman asked. The rest left the two alone. "Why don't you want to join the team?" Batman asked. "We're two different kind of people. They know their limit and don't go past it but I know my limits and I exceed them. We wouldn't be in sync" Red X said in a metallic voice that sent a shiver down Batman's back. Batman nodded. "Then why don't you just train by yourselves then spare with the team only. Do your parents know you're a hero?" Red X shook his head. "They were murdered. All of them" Red X stated with no emotion. "Sorry for your loss" Batman whispered. "Moved on" was the simple answer Red X gave.

"You two would be a great asset to the team" Batman said to get away from their previous subject. "Fine but keep Batgirl and Kid Idiot away from me" Red X stated. Batman nodded but really he was sympathizing for Red X because he had no family.

The two walked out of the garage and into the living room where the heroes were waiting. "Will you join the team?" The team begged. "Fine" Red X said. "CLASS! You have a metallic voice" Robin fanboyed.

"How about we get on with our training of today. Come along" Black Canary led the way into the training are. At the area there were paint turrets. The hero cocked one hand on her hip.

"For training you have to learn to dodge paintballs and using your environment for cover" She then turned to Red X and Mystique. "They conquered two levels and the last one is really hard. So don't be upset if you get hit easily."

"I can't participate. My knee is injured" Mystique stated, Black Canary nodded and turned to Red X. "Black Canary have you ever dodged bullets or knifes coming at you in every directions?" Red X asked. "No. Why?" Black Canary frowned. "Then don't tell me this is hard" Red X stated. Black Canary frowned even deeper. "Have you ever dodged bullets or knifes coming at you in every directions?" Black Canary asked. The league looked at Red X. "Yes"

"What age were you?" Manhunter asked. "Nine" Red X answered. The heroes gasped and stared at him. "Why would you train like that?" Wonder Woman asked. "Who said it was training? It was a matter of life or death" The league shared worried glances to each other.

"Ok, let's get started whoever wins gets control of the remote for a week" Black Canary announced. The heroes took their position before they could start, Red X took off his cape and helmet but he wore a domino mask underneath. "Wow paranoid much" Green Arrow said to Flash. Red X stared at them. "Well Oliver it's better to be then not. Aren't I right, Barry?" Red X stated. The two heroes froze and just stayed quiet as the training started. Batman smirked.

As the heroes moved quickly and put in a lot of concentration, Red X was taking his time and dodging everything that came his way effortlessly. Robin and Wally were the first ones out because Wally ran into Robin and they both slipped. Conner was out next he thought he could go through it, Megan let herself get hit with one so Conner didn't feel left out. Artemis got a flurry of colours in her hair and Batgirl got a whip in the face by Artemis hair. That left Red X. All the turrets aimed at him.

The heroes watched in awe as he moved fluently like he was dancing. As the turrets got faster he started to flip around. It looked like synchronized ribbon dancing. Red X suddenly busted out a quadruple flip across the playing field. Batman's breathing hitched. He only ever seen one child do the quadruple flip in history. Red X ended the game with a pretty advanced aerial walkover before landing in a cat like position.

The heroes stood shocked at what just happened. Red X just showed them up at what they trained for and made it look like nothing. Batman looked hard at Red X. _'Could that be Dick Grayson? No it couldn't be, he was killed a long time age in a fire.'_ Batman thought.

"You can have control of the TV, Superboy" Red X stated. Conner smiled and nodded. He then turned to Black Canary.

"Is that all for today?" He asked. Black Canary nodded, still shocked. "Have you heard of 'The Flying Graysons' before?" Batman asked. "Yes, it was tragic when Richard Grayson and his remaining family were murdered too in the fire" Red X stated. Batman gave him a suspicious glare. "What do you mean murdered too? What do you know? Who are you?" Batman growled.

The heroes watched in concerned fascination. "Slade murdered them all, even the parents but he used Tony Zucco for the parents. And pass. And no point, I don't exist" Red X answered. "Where is Slade?" Batman demanded. "Dead. Knife to the head" Red X stated. The heroes gasped, no one could believe someone could murder Slade, the greatest mercenary in the world.

"What do you mean you don't exist?" Megan asked. "I'm not me" Red X said in cryptic. He walked away before anyone could ask more questions. Batman went over to the computer and hacked into government files to see if he could find anything about Richard Grayson's death and Red X. "Batman he's just riling you up" Superman sighed. Batman acted as if he hadn't heard him and continued to work.

Soon all the heroes left not wanting to annoy Batman or made him mad. Batman sighed silently. ' _How could I not have known he was murdered and Red X did? I failed him by not managing to save his parents and now I failed him again not knowing he was murdered. Slade did it all but I didn't notice. I should have took him in but I was too much of an idiot.'_

* * *

 **Yeah Batman, you dumbass you should have took him in. So stupid that one. Anyways did you enjoy the chapter? Leave a comment as you all know by now.**

 **Ravager will be returning but I'm not sure about Scorpion, I might bring her back to her family. I might do the same with Mystique but I don't know. HELP!**

 **Zatanna will come along but Robin won't fall for her. She likes Red X but he ignores her. Then suddenly Batgirl, Artemis and Zatanna get into an argument about who Red X would be better with then they have a bet at whoever kisses Red X on the lips gets him but you can guess who will win.**

 **Leave who you think will win.**

 **Come on if you know me by now you'll know. Look at the ship couples I love.**

 **That's all for now!**

 **Blue out;]**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5 R**

 **So here's chapter five bros and I'm sorry if it took me a long time to post this chapter or something like that. If I'm not late HURRAY! I don't know because I've written some of these chapters during the time I was writing 'Nightwing before a Renegade' so you know me. Always planning ahead.**

 **So enjoy and I don't own anything except the plot, Mystique and Ren's Russian side, Ren's hair and eyes and the fact that he is blind for now and a bit of his history.**

 **ENJOY!**

 **P.S. Does anyone else think the name "Zatanna Zatara" is kind of too much?**

* * *

"Team report to the zeta tubes" Batmans said through the intercom. The team did so with Red X trailing slowly behind, depressed that he interrupted his meditation. They all gathered up by the zeta tubes happily waiting but staring at Red X who was repeatedly hitting his head against the wall while Robin tried to stop him.

"Team thi-" Batman stared at Red X who was now glomping **(It's my word)** over Robin, not bothering to stand properly. Red X turned himself to face Batman. "You interrupted my meditation" He said in monotone. "This is your new teammate, Zatanna" And as if on que she zeta'd in and put one hand on her hip.

Everyone introduced themselves to her. Red X tapped Robin on the shoulder who was in the middle of gulping down water. _"I swear she looks like a hooker. Hashtag no filter"_ Red X joked in sign language when no one was looking. Robin then did the greatest spit take ever seen and broke down laughing his ass off soooo much his face went red. The wet Wally and Conner glared at him and Red X.

Red X shrugged and managed to look innocent without even showing his face. "Sorry, but Red is a comedian" Robin said composing himself. Zatanna smiled and took notice of Red X she blushed a bit before going back to normal. She shook Robin's hand and went over to Red X. "Hi I'm Zatanna Zatara. What's your name?"

Red X stared at her. "Let's get things straight. I don't like you" Robin died of laughter while the others gasped **. (HA! Cock blocked X'D) (…Wait she doesn't have one, um, let's say REJECTED!)**

"You interrupted my meditation time just so you could make a big entrance? What makes you so important that you would waste my time like that? Since you think you are soooo ' _important'_ , it means I can think that about myself. So I'm going to walk away and hope you don't come anywhere near me." Red X sauntered away carrying a laughing Robin.

Zatanna stood there shocked. "Is it wrong to be turned on by that?" She asked. The team nodded, Zatanna shrugged and skipped after him. The heroes followed and was meet by a peculiar scene. Red X was trying to hang Zatanna with his grapple hook and Robin on the side lines with popcorn in his hand and laughing. Batman coughed to grab their attention. Red X walked over to him and glomped onto Batman. "This is your fault, I loathe magicians. They have a bad effect on me." Red X stated. Batman shrugged and zeta'd away with Red X glomped onto him.

Batman walked through the watchtower with him like this. Batman reached the sitting room and placed him on the couch. Batman sat beside him and put on 'True crime TV' they started watching Deadly Women. Wonder Woman, Flash and Superman walked in and just stared as they didn't know what was going on. They sat beside them and joined in. When a scene came on when a person said "If you want finger biscuits just cut off your own for a lovely taste" Batman and Red X chuckled darkly at the same time.

Superman changed the channel only to get slapped by the two capped crusaders. Red X changed the channel to 'Family guy' and Superman was in it.

"Of course he would pay a prostitute, it's not like he can win over Lois Lane no matter how hard he tried" Red X commented. Batman and Red X burst out laughing.

"At first I thought he would be female. It must have upset his Ma when she found out he wasn't" Batman said. They managed to fall off the couch laughing at Superman.

Wonder Woman stood up. "Stop making fun of him" She scolded. "Here's the princess. Go on and enslave me, that's all you Amazonian women are good for" Red X said.

The two were going redder by the second, they were laughing so hard it was heard by the team in the mountain. They transported themselves up and stared at them with their mouth wide open and so were the other leaguers.

"Even though she's a princess, she grows armpit hair that's the amount of what King Kong sheds" They were at the level of hyena laughing. "Why can't Wonder Woman just give up? She'll never be the man her mother was" They were struggling to get up badly.

"You know what. I don't think Superman hates Luthor, they're probably friends with benefits"

They leaned on each other for support but swayed as if they were drunk. "What are you? Drunk?" Black Canary asked. They pointed at her and laughed.

"I might be but it wouldn't matter because soon I'll be sober and you'll still be ugly" Their laugh was now at the level of Joker crazy.

"She's always saying to know your enemy but since when did she use that advice herself. Hypocrite much"

The two fainted from laughter. The heroes still stood there not knowing what to do. Then suddenly the song for 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' causing Batman and Red X to stand up and glomp on the couch like they owned it.

"Why were you joking around about us?" WW frowned. "We don't joke" Batman stated. "Why were you insulting us?" WW rephrased. "For the sake of joking" They said. "But you just said you don't joke" Superman stated. "We don't" Red X said.

"Smurfs these days" The two chuckled and soon it turned to full on laughter. Superman sulked and left the room. "Poor smurfette. Did we hurt your feelings?" They fell onto the floor and sighed. "I hate magicians, see what they cause me. I hate people now" Red X stated. Batman nodded. They both went their separate ways to brood in peace.

All the heroes got back to what they were doing. The team went back to the mount where Red X continued to bang his head against the table while Mystique watched static with Conner. Batgirl, Artemis and Zatanna were staring at Red X. "He's so cute" Zatanna stated. "Agreed" Artemis and Batgirl said. They all glared at each other.

"He wouldn't pick you. He wants a real women" Zatanna pointed to herself.

"Please all you do is cast spells" Batgirl snorted.

"I think we should just leave him alone" Artemis commented.

"So you can get him?" They asked. "Because he and my mom are friends" Artemis explained.

"Liar. How about we have a deal. Whoever kisses him on the mouth by his free will gets him" Batgirl stated. Zatanna nodded.

"Chicken much" Zatanna smirked. "Nope, I'm in" Artemis gave Zatanna a dirty look.

Zatanna strutted over to Red X and sat on his lap. Red X looked at her but went back to his book. **(I don't know how he's reading a book)** "Hey so I was wondering if we could go see a movie tonight?" Zatanna trailed her finger down his six pack. "Robin did you hear something?" Robin shook his head. "Artemis, I was wondering if you would like to go to the movies with me tonight. Wanna come?"

Artemis smiled. "Of course, I would love to"

Zatanna frowned. "What about a bite?" Red X shook his head. "Nah. Artemis wanna grab a bite on the way?" Red X asked. "Sure" Artemis answered. Zatanna huffed and trudged away. "Did I do something wrong?" Red X asked, innocently. Robin shook his head as he sniggered. Batgirl left smiling.

"Were you serious about the movie and bite to eat?" Artemis asked sitting beside him. "Yeah" Red X said. "I'll go get dressed then" Artemis went to ready. She came out wearing a green belly top, a pair of grey shorts and white air force. She even let her hair down. A minute later Red X came out. Everyone's mouth dropped to the floor. He wore a grey button down shirt, almost black jeans, grey and black British Knight shoes. He wore a black leather jacket and nerd glasses that showed off his soft stormy grey eyes.

"Ready?" Red X asked. Artemis nodded unable to speak. When they got to the garage Artemis got the courage to speak. "What should I call you, out in public?" Artemis asked. "You can call me John Strike" Red X stated. Artemis nodded. Artemis got on the bike and held on tight as he revved up the engine. They parked in front of the cinema and got off.

"What film are you up for?" John asked. "Um 'The boy next door'" Artemis suggested. John nodded and paid for the tickets and snacks. They went into the theatre and picked middle seats. Artemis subconsciously laid her head on his shoulder halfway through the movie. He minded seem to mind at all. Time passed until the ending came and turned to the credits.

"That was actually based on a true story that happened in Russia" John stated. "Really?" Artemis said.

"Yeah but instead it was two guy around seven, eight years old. One of them liked the other as a friend and the other liked him as something more. One day he kissed him but other one only wanted to be friends. Time went by and the boy let's call him Ben acted like it never happened, the other boy called matt did too, he didn't want to ruin their friendship but he soon snapped when he saw Ben kiss a girl.

He went ballistic and started to act weird. Ben stayed away from him because he didn't feel safe anymore. Matt would always look at him in a different way, every time matt looked at him he could see hungry look in his eyes. Ben tried to tell his family but they didn't listen, they waved it off. Each time he would knock for him, Ben would make excuses or bring his sister along or his girlfriend.

One day he captured Ben's sister and girlfriend and parents. He left Ben clues but Ben didn't find them all. Soon he found matt but he looked different, as if he was burnt, singed. Ben ran around to find an exit as matt was hot on his trail. In the end Ben escaped with everyone except matt. He was never the same again. He kind of locked himself away from society." John said.

Artemis held his hand. "Ben wasn't actually his name, was it?" Artemis asked. "No" Ren whispered. Artemis pulled him into a hug which he accepted. "You're a different person when you're not a hero" Artemis stated. John smirked. "Come on, enough about me. I did promise you a bite to eat" John sent back the motorbike and decided to walk.

Artemis gasped as she saw the shop. "Really? Nandos' is expensive" John smirked and pulled out of wad of green. "I'm sorta rich" They walked into the shop and ordered. Artemis ordered chips and a burger and John ordered a chicken salad. "Watching your weight?" Artemis laughed. "Actually I don't eat this much. Last time I ate was two months ago" Artemis looked at him. "Why? Did you not get hungry at all?" Artemis asked. John shook his head. "Out of habit I guess" John shrugged.

"You're not normal" Artemis stated. John rolled his eyes. They talked some more before leaving as it got dark. John walked her home and even gave her his coat. **_(Cute overload!) \ (^ ^) /_**

Artemis opened her front door with her key. "Mom, there's a guest here for you" Artemis called out. Paula wheeled herself in and smiled brightly. "John, you're alive!" Paula hugged John. "Nice to see you" John said. "I missed you so much" Paula sobbed. John wiped her tears away and smirked slightly that it looked like a smile. "Here" John took out a gift wrapped box and gave it to her. "Use it in exactly when I leave. The instructions are in it" John whispered.

He stood up. "It was nice to see you again. But unfortunately I have to leave, goodbye" John waved and walked out the door. Paula wheeled away and walked into her bedroom. She opened the box and read the note. "Put the salt in your bath and fill it up with water. Bathe in it for ten minutes then see the results." Paula read out.

She did so and put on her swimsuit. She bathed in the salted water for ten minutes and then suddenly she began to feel the water tingle against her legs. WAIT! Her legs? Paula tried to move her legs . . . and they were moving! She cheered and stood up and walked to the mirror. She gasped and put her hands to her face. She looked young again, like when she was Huntress. Her hair was longer too. "Oh my god" She whispered. Even her voice was firm and back to when she was Huntress and she was taller.

"ARTEMIS!" She yelled, running out of the bathroom and to Artemis' room. "Mom" Artemis breathed. She ran toward her and hugged her mom. "But how?" Artemis asked. "John's gift helped me" Paula smiled. "Let me get dressed then we can go thank him" Paula stated. She ran into her room and took out her old Huntress suit. It fit perfectly.

Paula- scratch that- Huntress walked out of her room with a new pride. "Come on Artemis. I have my old motorbike in the basement" Huntress and Artemis ran down to the basement. She removed the cloth covering revealing her purple and white motorbike. Paula opened a secret door and hopped on her motorbike. Artemis held on as Huntress revved up the engine and zoomed to Mt. Justice.

She and Artemis ran into the building and to the training room where the team and their mentors were. She and Artemis attacked Red X with a hug. "Thank you so much!" Huntress smiled. "Um? Who's that?" Wally asked. "My mom" Artemis answered. "But she was in a wheelchair" Batman stated. "Red X helped her back to her feet" Artemis grinned.

"Why must you attack me with a hug?" Red X asked. The two smiled and kissed both of his cheeks. Red X sighed. "So are you going to stay a villain?" Black Canary asked. Huntress shook her head. "I want to help out with the team" She stated.

"Ok. You can start today" Batman stated. Red X tried to escape their grip they had a death grip on him. He crawled out like a cat but was dragged in again. "I'm never gonna let you go. You're like a cute kitty" Huntress cooed, rubbing her cheek against Red X's. The others laughed at him as Huntress pranced around the room with Red X helplessly being moved around like a ragdoll.

"I hate people" Red X groaned.

Batman smiled sadly because even though Red X was surrounded by friends that loved him, he wasn't happy at all.

* * *

 **Like this chapter? Should I make John and Artemis a couple? Should I make John go to Gotham High? Should I get Bruce to adopt him? Should I bring Grant in this story? DO YOU EVEN READ THESE NOTES?**

 **Tell me in the comments or pm me. I'm always online after six or so.**

 **John and Artemis click because he and her mom have a history together where the crossed paths. I will show you that history soon. Do you want Ravager to come back? Should I let the team know his name? You guys decide. ?**

 **O**

 **O**

 **Should I make John have a nightmare about the fire? I don't know. -_-**

 **Get the emoji? Cool**

 **So don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6 R**

 **Mello guys!**

 **How's it shakin'? Having a swell day, good to know!**

 **Well, I'm not here in Dublin. IT'S RAINING AND I DESPISE RAIN! But Ireland is known for its rain, Guinness, culture and river dance.**

 **Whatevs. It won't stop me from writing this chapter in anyway.**

 **So enjoy your sunny, warm weathered places while I unveil this chapter to you.**

* * *

 **No POV (In Red X's room)**

"Ren, I don't know what to do. They're actually alive and well back in Romania" Mystique whispered. Ren put his hand on Mystique's shoulder. "Go to them, put them out of their misery" Red X answered. Mystique sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

 **(A/N: In this story Romania is Russia's neighbour and Ren used to live near Romanian borders in the countryside in Russia.)**

"But I'd be leaving you behind and I'd have to tell Scorpion. She is my sister after all" Mystique said. Ren gave her hand a squeeze of reassurance.

"Melissa, you have to go back. Don't worry about me, worry about your family. You're lucky you still have your family, don't waste it. We can send emails and skype to keep in touch" Red X stated. Mystique nodded and hugged Red X. "I'll go give her a call" Mystique left the room.

 ***Flashback start***

 _"Dick!" his mom reached out and so did he but they missed by a hair._

 _The crack echoed throughout the tent, and a small Dick Grayson couldn't tear his eyes from the scene below him, the murder that he had just witnessed. He didn't feel anything as he slid down the ladder from his platform at the top of the colourful tent. He didn't feel anything when he stumbled toward the broken forms of his parents. He didn't feel anything when his knees gave way, landing him in a puddle of sticky red substance. He didn't feel anything for a while._

 _He didn't hear the crowd, the cops or the shouts. All he could hear was Tony Zucco who was laughing and clapping in the corner of the tent. Dick glared at the man with a promise of pain in Tony Zucco's life. Tony walked away grinning but not before winking at Dick. Dick hadn't felt anything but now he did. He felt rage, a rage that wiped the smile off Tony's face but went unnoticed by everyone else._

 ***Flashback end***

Red X still felt nothing, a part of him died that night too. His happiness. It was seldom for him to show emotions or smirk. He forgave Tony Zucco but it still didn't help him move on with his life. His family was already broken before that night but he still loved them nonetheless.

But yet no emotion.

Red X shook his head before leaving his room himself and locking it with a code. He walked into the gym which was a quiet enough place so he could meditate. He crossed his legs in mid-air and closed his eyes. He relaxed but kept his guard up as he was thought to do.

Soon he heard chatter and footsteps coming toward the gym.

"He must be in here" X heard Wally say.

"Shh" Robin came beside him and started to meditate as well. He could tell the others were just staring at them.

"But Robin we have a meeting to go to" Artemis stated. Robin didn't answer.

They others walked out of the room but soon returned with their mentors. "They're meditating which seems more important to them then the meeting" Superman let a tad bit of annoyance slip into his voice.

Flash decided to zip around him to get X to stop. "HeyX! Areyouthere? Wehaveameetingsostopmeditatingalready! Anybodyinthere? HELLO!?HEL-" X grabbed him by the throat while still meditating and began to squeeze it tighter and tighter, very slowly so Flash could panic.

He made a strangled noise before struggling to get out of his grip. The other heroes tried to pry X's hands away from his throat. Keyword tried. He wasn't having any of it. X let go of his throat as he felt his spinal cord bend a bit. He gasped for air on the floor, spluttering and coughing.

"Why did you do that?" Black Canary demanded. He stayed quiet. "Answer me you secretive little runt" Black Canary used her sonic scream on X but it had no effect on him whatsoever. Huntress put a hand on her shoulder. "Who said I'm secretive?" he said final opening his blind eyes.

Black Canary glared at Red X. "Come on, leave him alone. Maybe he didn't know where the meeting room was" Wonder Woman stated. "He'd have to be blind to not know where it is" Green Arrow commented. "True, the kid would fail missions like that" Superman added. "He must have been blind and deaf not to hear me or see me" Flash glared daggers toward the boy.

"Leave him alone" Batman growled. Red X suddenly had a black aura surrounding him. Literally, it could be seen by the heroes and caused them to back up. Red X stalked off without a sound. "That was rude" Manhunter stated, crossly.

"He's always hiding something. And I'll prove it" Black Canary declared before running off. "This isn't going to end well for any of you. For all you know he could be blind" Robin frowned, disappointed with the three mentors.

All the heroes walked to the kitchen and waited for the others to gather without a word. A good ten minutes passed before Red X came in and Black Canary running in with a smirk. "And you said you had no secrets" She smirked, holding up a CD. Red X's eyes widened but they couldn't see that. "Give it back" He growled.

Black Canary ran to the DVD player with Red X about to pounce. Superman and Green Arrow tackled him and got him in an iron grip. Black Canary put it in but didn't press play yet. "Canary leave him alone" Conner growled. "She shouldn't, let's see his secret." Wally went against Conner.

She pressed play. As she did Red X slipped away before anyone could notice, he didn't want to see what was on it, all he knew was that it was bad.

* * *

 _Renegade coughed out a lot blood as Jericho kicked him repeatedly. He would have shielded himself but he was forced into a straight jacket. Wintergreen, Ravager, Scorpion and Mystique watched helplessly from the other room. Jericho dug his foot into Renegade leg wound. Renegade flinched but refused to make a sound for him._

 _"Why did you let Huntress go?" Jericho demanded. He dug deeper._

 _"She has two daughters that need her" Renegade said through his gritted teeth. "Unlike you, I felt sympathy for her."_

 _Jericho kicked him on the nose but still Renegade refused to show weakness. Jericho took Renegade by the collar and flung him into an empty tank, before he did he proceeded to add chains around Renegade's upper body._

 _"Always have to play the hero, don't you" Jericho stated._

 _Renegade shook his head. "I'm just doing the right thing. Artemis and Jade deserve to have a life with their mother."_

 _"I'll find them and kill them" Jericho spat out._

 _Renegade laughed despite the injuries he had and being thrown into a tank. "You'd have to go through Sportsmaster and you'll never find them"_

 _Jericho glared at him. "And why is that?"_

 _"Since you're such a smart cookie, I'll let you figure it out for yourself" Renegade smirked._

 _Jericho growled at him and pulled a lever, filling the tank up with water. Renegade took a moment to do some breathing exercises. He did it so because if he could control his pharynx, Renegade would be able to hold his breath for an hour. The tank was full to the brim._

 _Jericho grinned darkly while pressing a button. Electricity flowed through the water. Renegade managed to still hold his breath but closed his eyes tightly from the pain. Jericho walked around the tank and touched the glass._

 _"Father will thank me for this. Hope you have a good time swimming around with the fishes" Jericho smirked._

 _Renegade's eyes opened wide with realization straight away. Jericho sent him a fake sympathetic look before slamming his hand down on a green button. Suddenly fish came swimming in but they weren't the normal friendly one. They were piranhas and they were heading toward Renegade fast._

 _Wintergreen, Ravager, Scorpion and Mystique watched as blood filled the tank. They watched the chains fall off and tattered pieces of clothing float. Mystique pounded on the glass again and again. The others cried for Renegade, he was honourable and very selfless. He didn't deserve to die this way. Jericho called the fish away. All that was visible in the tank was the remains Renegade's body. Jericho let the others go and walked away._

 _Mystique grabbed a missile gun. "Stand back" She ordered. She shot the gun at the bottom to avoid hitting Renegade's body. The glass shattered easily, water came gushing out dragging Renegade's body along. They ran over to his body and gasped. Ravager and Scorpion turned away. Mystique kneeled down beside him and checked for a pulse._

 _"He's still alive" She announced. Wintergreen took off his jacket and draped it over Renegade. He lifted Renegade up and sprinted to the infirmary with Scorpion and Ravager running ahead to set up a bed._

 _Wintergreen hooked him up to the machine and started to patch him up with bandages but he didn't dare stitch him up as that could put him in more pain. Wintergreen covered his face and body with bandages. "He'll be in a lot of pain when he wakes up" Mystique whispered. They nodded. "Girls can you give me a moment with Mystique?" Wintergreen asked._

 _The two left willingly. "He has a very slim chance of surviving. He'll be in a coma like state for a month or so and Deathstroke is returning in five months' time. He will have to catch up quick but that'll be difficult because the fish chewed off most of the flesh around his eyes so he'll go blind" Wintergreen explained. Mystique nodded. "I'll take his missions until he's better. Right now, I'll go put the girls to sleep." She looked at Renegade once more before leaving the room._

 _Wintergreen cleaned up around the room, he couldn't afford dust getting dust getting on Renegade. "Win-wintergreen" He heard. He ran over to Renegade. "Renegade are you ok?" He asked. Renegade lifted up his right arm and flexed it. "You shouldn't be moving" Wintergreen scolded._

 _Renegade put his arm down, staring at the ceiling. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt, I've been through far more pain than this. It's weird not being able to see anymore" Renegade had no emotion in his voice or expression on his face._

 _"Should I inform your friend-?"_

 _"They're not my friends, their colleagues. I don't have any friends and don't want any" Renegade interrupted. Wintergreen sighed._

 _"Why do you push people away from you?" Wintergreen asked softly._

 _"I'm bad luck Wintergreen, always have been. Take a look into my history. Parents divorced when I was only four, whole family dead. Bullied for reasons I never understood, always being called blind or told I should kill myself, or that I'm useless, an accident waiting to happen._

 _My best mate went crazy, killed by me to save myself, I got shot at the age of nine, I got spotted by a mercenary, abused, now I'm blind and I was thrown off a building, tortured and betrayed" Renegade sighed._

 _"Well I don't mind being blind, I did it for a good cause and it's about to help me win this long chess game I've been playing" Renegade added. Wintergreen nodded slowly._

 _"At least it was good luck when you didn't die from the fall" Wintergreen stated. Renegade faced away from Wintergreen._

 _"For you at least" He said before closing his eyes, falling asleep. Wintergreen looked at Renegade sadly and sighed._

 _"Maybe one day you'll see that you have friends. The chess game you're playing against Slade is dangerous child, I just hope you can win it and get out alive" Wintergreen whispered._

* * *

The heroes turned to face Red X but he wasn't there. Huntress looked down. "He risked his life for me" She whispered as tears filled her eyes.

Black Canary was shocked. Conner and the rest glared at Superman, GA, Flash and Black Canary especially Wally. "You shouldn't bully people like that" Megan was fuming her head off. The heroes walked to Red X's room.

Robin knocked on the door. "Red, open up. We just want to talk to you"

No answer.

"Red X please open up. Don't lock yourself away from us" Megan pleaded.

No sound at all.

"Guys it's still going" Conner informed, pointing at the TV. The team looked at the screen as a stage appeared.

* * *

 **That's the end of chapter 6. I cut it short so the clip will be in chapter 7 so hold on, I'm working on it! I always work on a chapter when I get a chance and that's like every day in the morning and a bit at night. So I will have chapter 7 up soon while I work on number 8.**

 **Did you enjoy this chapter? Leave a comment or pm me.**

 **If you want me to continue to write this story or have any ideas either review or pm.**

 **JK! I'll keep writing this story.**

 **Don't forget to READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7 R**

 **Hey! Hello! Hi! Bonjour! Guten Tag! Shalom! Dia duit!**

 **How's it going? This is the same day for the next chapter. Sorry for cutting the chapter into sections but here's the other half as chapter 7.**

 **I own nothing but my OC and the fact that in this story Russia is beside Romania and some other things.**

 **So sit back, relax and...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **P.S. Thanks PikaWings for the review. There will be fluff soon and maybe some league deaging.**

* * *

 **No POV**

"Guys it's still going" Conner informed, pointing at the TV. The team looked at the screen as a stage appeared.

* * *

 _An eight year old John scanned the crowd, hopefully. He saw his father's girlfriend but no one else. The girlfriend walked down to him._

" _Hey" she smiled, rubbing his arm._

" _Mom's not coming is she, Sam?" Ren asked, tears welling in his eyes. Sam smiled sadly and pulled him into a hug._

" _I'm sorry. Your dad's at work but he asked me to take a video for him. But your mom, I don't know. Would you like me to call her?"_

 _John shook his head. "No, I don't want to waste her time. She has more important things to do like work I guess . . . the others" John voice faded away, tears flowing down his face slowly. Sam wiped away his tears with her index finger gently._

" _Can you tell the teacher if I could go last, please?" John asked. Sam nodded and planted a kiss on his forehead before leaving._

 _John walked over to the corner and took a piece of paper and a pen and began to write. He would write and scribbled over some words while wiping away his tears in the process._

 _Time went by and acts performed. John waited patiently for his turn. Sam watched him from the crowd, her face showed concern but he smiled at her to show everything was okay. Through the performances John would glance at the crowd every now and then for his mom._

 _The presenter walked into the spotlight and flashed a smile. "Ok! We're down to our last performer and he is singing a song he wrote himself. So everyone give it up for John!" The presenter walked off when John came on._

 _John sat in front of the piano while his friend sat on a stool with a guitar on her and a choir in the back. John played an intro to the song as the crowd quietened down. His angelic but yet haunted voice then flowed through the room._

 **" _I still remember the world_**

 ** _From the eyes of a child_**

 ** _Slowly those feelings_**

 ** _Were clouded by what I know now_**

 ** _Where has my heart gone?_**

 ** _An uneven trade for the real world_**

 ** _Oh, I, I want to go back to_**

 ** _Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all_**

 ** _I still remember the sun_**

 ** _Always warm up my back_**

 ** _Somehow it seems colder now_**

 ** _Where has my heart gone?_**

 ** _Trapped in the eyes of a stranger_**

 ** _I want to go back to_**

 ** _Believe in everything"_**

 **" _Lesu, Rex Admirabilis_**

 ** _Et triumphator nobilis_**

 ** _Dulcedo ineffabilis_**

 ** _Totus desiderabilis"_**

 _As the choir chanted the Latin hymn, Ren spoke a few words of his poem he added to the song._

 **" _As the years pass by before my face_**

 ** _As wars rage before me_**

 ** _Finding myself in these last days of existence_**

 ** _This parasite inside me, I forced it out_**

 ** _In the darkness of the storm lies an evil, but it's me_**

 ** _Where has my heart gone?_**

 ** _An uneven trade for the real world_**

 ** _Oh, I, I want to go back to_**

 ** _Believing in everything_**

 ** _Oh, where, where has my heart gone?_**

 ** _Trapped in the eyes of a stranger_**

 ** _Oh, I, I want to go back to_**

 ** _Believing in everything_**

 ** _I still remember"_**

 _The performers came out when the crowd clapped for John. The presenter clapped too. "Wow that was a beautiful song! Now to announce the winner of the talent show, picked by our judges." The presenter took out an envelope and opened it._

" _And the winner is… John!" The crowd cheered as he got his award. Sam ran down and hugged him._

 _**(Skip time a bit)**_

 _John and Sam got into the car and made their way home. "Wait until your dad see's you on tape" Sam squealed. John chuckled, during most of the trip Sam made John laugh but that changed when they reached a traffic light._

 _John stared out the window and lost his smile. In a restaurant he saw his mom and boyfriend with the rest of his family having dinner, talking, laughing, and having fun and not a care in the world. Sam followed his gaze and frowned._

" _John. I'm so sorry" Sam whispered. John looked away not even bothering to wipe the tears rolling down his face. "It's fine, let's just go home" John said._

 _Sam nodded and drove them home. When they reached the house a bit late due to traffic, the family was already there. John and she walked out of the car. John walked in and tried to avoid everyone but the boyfriend spotted him._

" _Hey squirt!" He smiled._

 _The family turned their attention to him. "What's that in your hand?" He asked. John glared at him. "Nothing" John kept on walking but his mom stopped him and took a look at it. Just then his dad walked in._

" _You had the talent show today and I missed it. I'm so sorry I was at work" Mom exclaimed. Dad sighed. "You promised him you'd be there" Dad stated._

" _Well, I couldn't I was busy at work" Mom said. John was shaking in anger._

" _LIAR!" John screamed, taking everyone by surprise. "I saw you in the restaurant with the rest of them. It seems Mark is now more important than me"_

 _Mom shook her head. "I'm sorry, I forgot, my head was all over the place." Mom tried to explain._

" _But yet you remembered everything else. The amount of times you forgot about me. Each time you didn't show up, or couldn't do something, I'd always make up an excuse for you! Everyone told me not to get my hopes up but I still did, but I should have listened to them. I c- ugh" John stumbled clutching at his heart. Dad and Mom kneeled down beside him._

" _Son, what's wrong?" Dad asked. John tried to answer but as soon as he opened his mouth he coughed up blood and fell. Dad held him and Sam called the ambulance. John wheezed and struggled to breathe, chocking and spluttering on his own blood. "Hang on son. Don't panic, stay with me" Dad sat John up so he could get rid of the blood coming up his throat. The family was escorted out of the room as most of them were young._

 _Mom stroked John's hair and cried. Sam kept a look out for the ambulance. John's eyes sped around the room as if he didn't know where he was. The ambulance came just then. "We have no time to rush him to the hospital. I need you all to leave so we can do our job" The doctor ordered._

 _The three of the waited in the hallway for forty minutes before the doctor came out covered in blood. "Your son had an extremely, rare heart attack caused by stress. It took away two ounces of his blood, he'll need to stay in bed for four weeks. Give him a lot of liquids but no solid foods, just give him supplements three times a day. And no more stress" The doctor informed them._

 _They smiled and thanked him. They went in to where John lay. He was pale and looked hollow. But alive, his dull eyes, now black, stared straight ahead._

 _They lost their shine for a long time after that._

* * *

The room was filled with silence. Everyone finally understood Red X and why he was the he was. He had a bad life full of pain.

Flash zoomed over to Red X's room and knocked repeatedly. "Ren, look I'm sorry I didn't mean to isolate you like that. I'm so sorry just please say something" Flash's shoulders slumped down when Red X still didn't answer.

Mystique then came out of her room with a smile. But that soon faded. "What did you do?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Black Canary, Flash, Superman, Green Arrow and Wally decided to bully Red X and Black Canary invaded his privacy and snuck in his room and stole his DVD." Robin answered.

Mystique calm exterior turned into a furious one. She glared at the idiots. "Go sit down, I'll get to you later" She growled. She turned to Megan, "Could you remove the CD for me please?" She asked nicely. Megan nodded.

Mystique put in the key code for Red X's room and walked in, she reverted her glowing eyes to her soft brown eyes and from the short black hair to her dark brown wavy, long hair.

Red X was sitting on his bed, tensed and hunched over, staring at the wall in front of him. Melissa wrapped her arms around him from the back and rocked him gently side to side. Red X relaxed and took hold of Melissa's hand and took some deep breaths in and out.

Melissa removed Red X's helmet and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Show me those blue eyes I love to see" Red X removed his domino mask to show his sapphire blue eyes becoming Dick. Dick pulled Melissa onto his lap and kissed her passionately. They smiled **(A/N: He doesn't smile but whatever)** at each other and lied down on his bed together.

"Wish I could see your face again" Dick sighed. Melissa took hold of his hand. "I have a feeling one day you'll get your sight back. Don't worry" Melissa soothed, pulling him into a kiss. They pulled away for a brief second before doing it again. Soon it turned into a make out session.

Ten minutes later, Melissa rubbed his arm. "Feeling better now?" She asked. "Much better. Now I heard you left some people waiting in the living room" Dick smirked. Melissa laughed. "Oh yeah. Now if you excuse me I have to go give out to a few league members" They kissed one more time before Melissa changed back to her hero look and walked out.

She walked into the living room with a snarl on her face. The trouble makers seen her face and cowered while the other heroes were in the kitchen watching. Batman and Robin had the cams out ready with smirks on their faces.

Mystique's eyes turned flaming red, her hair grew longer and floated up, necromancy marks appeared on her body. She cracked her knuckles and glared at the frightened heroes on the couch in front of her. Batman and Robin started videoing while the others ate popcorns and made sound effects.

"You better have a good explanation for what you did. If you don't, trust me, it'll take more than War world to stop me from kicking your asses" She growled in a demonic voice.

"Ohhhh!" Batman and Robin commented. They planted cameras around the whole room and the mountain actually for the best angles.

"Someone get us out of here!" Flash sobbed on Superman's quaking shoulder. Black Canary used her sonic scream but Mystique waved her hand causing Black Canary to go flying across the room.

Batman and Robin started to stuff popcorn in their mouth like crazy, watching as if they were in the cinema. Batman handed Robin 3D glasses and put some on himself. (How? I don't know)

"I'm certain we're about to have a light show" Batman whispered, not wanting to interrupt anything.

Mystique's fist had black flames coming from them. "No explanation, no mercy" She snarled. She jumped into action.

The team cringed and covered their eyes at certain times but Batman and Robin were grinning like crazy. Bright explosions went off around the room.

"Told you so" Batman stated. Robin nodded.

"Huh? A purple one, that was unexpected" Robin commented.

The two cheered as Mystique defeated Superman with 'ONE PUNCH!' to the crotch.

 **(Get it! If you don't I'll explain. One punch man defeated an alien with one punch in the crotch and Superman is an alien so it fits)**

* * *

 **That was chapter 7 bros. Did you enjoy it? Tell me in the comments or pm me.**

 **What do you want next to happen in the story? I'll let you choose. I was thinking that Batman would want to adopt Red X but he would refuse because he doesn't want to be hurt again but Batman tries to comfort him and be there.**

 **Along the chapter Red X will move out of the mountain because he doesn't trust most of the league and they don't trust him back. His hide out will be Slade's old hide out. Mystique will go back to Romania.**

 **So keep in tune for the next chapter!**

 **Blue out;]**


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8 R**

 **DIA DUIT MO CHARA! Tá tú go maith? Tá tú ar ceart go leor! Yay!**

 **Translation: Hello my friends! How are you? You're ok! Yay!**

 **See your first Irish lesson! And you completed it with no mistakes whatsoever. Well done! A++**

 **Anyways this is chapter 8 uploaded for you bros to read and review.**

 **I own nothing at all except my OC and all.**

 **So sit back, relax and...**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

Red X and Mystique called a meeting for the team and some of the leaguers came too. Red X and Mystique walked in front of everybody but waited as they teens and some adults were talking to each other. The only ones that gave them attention were Manhunter and Batman and Robin. They waited some more but then Red X got impatient.

"Pay attention now or face the consequences" Red X growled in his Batman voice. Immediately he had everyone's attention, sitting straight and scared out of their minds. Red X glared at them for a minute so he knew he had their full attention on him.

"Now that I have your attention, Mystique would like to make-" Red X batglared at Flash and Green Arrow who were talking in hushed voices. He took out two black batarangs and threw it at them. They landed near their . . . little yum, yums, they shrieked and stared at Red X.

"If you don't pay attention I will hand you over to a pack of mecenaries that would happily tear you apart. Am I clear?" He growled. They nodded vigorously and said in unison. "Yes Batma- Red X. Sorry" Red X grunted exactly like Batman. Batman nodded in the background with approval.

"As I was saying, Mystique would like to make an announcement" Mystique nodded as she stood up to talk. "I would like to announce that I'm going back home to my family, I discovered they were alive ever since their accident. My little sister, Scorpion is already there with Ravager. I would like to say it was a privilege working with all of you and goodbye. And I'll be doing one final mission with you before my departure" Mystique announced.

The team went up to her and gave her hugs and handshakes. Batman got a look from Mystique and walked over to the corner of the room with her following. "Batman, could I ask you to do a favour for me while I'm gone?" Mystique asked.

"What's the favour?"

"Could be there for Red X? I know you're probably wondering why, the reason is that when Red X was nine his whole family were murdered and he tried to save them but failed because Slade shot him and dragged him away. And he's planning to move back into his base after all this. I don't want him to be alone" Batman felt his fists clenched and he tensed up. He felt anger begin to boil inside him. No child should have to go through that. EVER!

"I'll do my best" Batman confirmed. Mystique smiled and nodded. "Thank you" She whispered before walking away. Batman watched as Red X didn't join the teens talking to each other, instead he sat down in his usual place across the room and meditated, like he got this kind of news before.

Maybe he did.

Batman walked over to Red X and sat beside him. "So how do you feel about Mystique leaving?" Batman asked. Red X turned to face him and shrugged. "Her family deserve to have their daughter back again. There's nothing to say" Red X stated. Batman noticed his shoulders were a bit slumped. As if he was upset. Or was he imagining it? Yeah, he was probably imagining it.

"Do you go to school?" Batman asked suddenly, he mentally slapped himself for asking a dumb question. But Red X didn't seem to mind. "Not anymore, no. When Slade had me, he got me to go to school and just do my junior cert and leaving cert. I passed both of them and left, so now I don't have to worry about school anymore" Red X answered.

"What grade did you get?" Batman pressed on. "A++" Red X stated, "I had to do everything so I was smart enough so when I came across something complicated what I learned would come in handy" Batman nodded in understanding. Doing that was a good move for his skills to improve and so. Slade really outdone himself and thought of everything so he could have the child to himself, to mould, to teach, to abuse.

"Where have you been living after you got away from Deathstroke?" Batman questioned. "We're playing fifty questions I see" Red X joked. Batman felt the corner of his lips twitch upwards. "I live in my bases I created" Red X said in cryptic language. Batman knew he wouldn't get him to reveal where it was so he left it at that. Bases . . . huh?

They let comfortable silence fall between them as they stared into open space. "What age are you? If you don't mind me asking?" Batman looked at Red X. "Thirteen" he stated. Batman stared at him for a second, taking in as much as he could. "You act really mature for your age" Batman remarked. Red X snorted, "So I've heard from everyone I've ever met." Batman chuckled.

"How do you see villains when you can't see?" Red X stayed quiet for a minute. "I might not be able to see how you can, but I see things differently. I see things in bright colours and shadow outlining so I can determine enough about the person's features. What kind of person they are" Red X spotted the confused look on Batman's face before he could make one.

"I can tell their personality by their colours. They have different colours for moods they don't show" Red X explained. Batman nodded, finally understanding what information he was given. He felt a pang of sorrow for the boy, he had no sight to see the world like everyone else did. But he felt good that Red X was honestly letting him in a little.

Batman wanted to know more about Red X. Where he was from? What was his family like? What was his hobbies? What his favourite subject was? What shows was he into? Did he act different from his hero personality with his identity? Would he like to be adopted by Bruce Wayne? HOLD UP! What? Adopted? Batman mentally shook that thought away and decided to start with something simple and easy.

"Red X, would you like to come patrolling with me sometime? The league and I think the Gotham villains are planning to rob a bank, this week or the next. You could join us as well" Batman suggested hopefully but acted casually. Red X looked as if he was considering it for a second. "Ok, I don't have anything better to do" Red X shrugged. Batman nodded an stood up and so did Red X. They shook hands with each other and went their separate ways.

Batman silently cheered on the inside as he transported himself to the watchtower. He felt good, really good. He felt an emotional connection with Red X, he felt that Red X was allowing him to get close to him. Maybe he would think about adopting him, Jason would like a brother to spend time with. They were almost alike Batman and Red X. They both had dark pasts and were trying to bring right into the world and devoted themselves to it.

Batman found himself smiling as he thought of Red X. Maybe soon they could trust each other with everything. "Batman, are you okay?" Wonder Woman asked. Batman waved her off. "I'm fine" He said. "But you're smiling!" Wonder Woman exclaimed. Batman shrugged, never letting his smile slip off his face.

Flash zoomed in and screamed like a girl. He coward in the corner. Some leaguers ran into the room and checked on the Flash. "What's wrong?" Manhunter asked. "Batman's smiling" Flash whimpered. The league stared at Batman who was smiling, not smirking but smiling. They backed away slightly. "Batman what's wrong?" Green Arrow asked. Batman shook his head, he was about to walk out of the room but stopped.

"Oh and Red X will be joining our mission in Gotham." Batman stated. "But he's still a kid" Superman argued. "And so is Robin but you still see him beating villains left and right" Batman pointed out before leaving. The league members stared after him in silence. "I think that kid Red X is changing him for the better" Flash pointed out. They all agreed.

 **Red X**

Red X had no idea why Batman wanted him to tag along. It confused him, he thought Batman took a long time to trust someone but Red X didn't question it at all. After all, it wasn't his to judge. Red X sat in the kitchen and stared into space, thinking about a million things in a second. He was like a statue in a museum, not a single movement came from him.

The team walked into the kitchen as Megan heard the oven go off. Megan used her telekinesis to take them out and held it in front of the team. Everyone dug in, she realised that Red X was just sitting there. "Would you like some cookies Red X?" She asked. "No thank you" Red X answered. "Did I do something wrong with them?" She frowned. Red X shook his head. "I'm not fond of sugar" He explained.

"Why? Sugar gives you energy" Wally stated. Red X ignored him. "Megan I can't have sugar, it brings back bad memories and I'll end up on a sugar rush. So I stay away from sugar" He stated. The team stared at him in shock. "You obviously weren't brought up with a lot of sugar" Wally commented. "No shit, Baywatch" Artemis and Red X said in unison. They looked at each other and raised an eyebrow.

"So first you're not talking to me and now you are. Make up your mind" Wally fussed.

Red X turned his head and stared at Wally before leaving.

"If you respected him, he might get used to you. And don't bother arguing with him, he always wins" Mystique informed. Wally nodded. He really didn't meant to bully Red X, he was just curious, it was a speedster thing.

" _Team time for debriefing"_ Batman's voice rang out from the intercom.

* * *

 **That was chapter 8 but you can guess who the next villain is going to be! Who does Dick hate the most and avoid? Think back to Teen Titans. You guys can get it, you guys are smart.**

 **So if you enjoyed this chapter, leave a review or pm me for it, if you want. I will be back next time with chapter 9 with the villain…**

 **Or villainess**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 R**

 **I'm back bros and feeling good and refreshed.**

 **So did you guess who it is? Okay I'll tell you. It's…**

 **I'M NOT TELLING YOU! You have to read the story and see. Like everyone else here.**

 **So sit back, relax and..**

 **SO ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

Red X and Robin typed furiously trying to hack into the enemy's security system.

 _My god,_ Robin thought, _what is it with these paranoid people? Placing like a million of firewalls just for basic security, cam and random stuff totally not worth my time. As if they think people are gonna hack their systems to spy on them . . . heh. I_ _ **am**_ _spying on them…_

 _ **Rob!**_

Robin paused his typing and frowned a little; couldn't Megan ever adjust the volume of the voices? Robin did have to say KF was pretty badly timed for random conversations . . . namely: now.

 _ **What, KF?**_

 _ **Dude, ditch your James Bond thoughts, you're taking ages! We're supposed to be in drop point B!**_

Eyebrows twitching in irritation, he turned back to his holocomputer and began hacking furiously whilst replying to KF.

 _ **Security system is tight; I didn't pack all of the hacking tools.**_

 _ **Yes well, Rob, and aren't you supposed to be the famed one, able to hack eleven firewalls in a matter of minutes with whatever tool in your hand?**_

 _ **Who told you that load of crap? … no matter how complimenting it seems, I'm in the middle of hacking six firewalls while Red X is doing twelve.**_

Kid Flash went quiet, then,

 _ **Never mind, just speed up!**_

 _ **You try hacking six high tech firewalls in two minutes, then tell me to speed up. Mr. I Can Do Anything Fast Except For Hacking!**_

 _ **Just-**_

A pissed off Red X cut him off completely.

 _ **Wallace Rudolph West! If you knew you wouldn't have patience when you gave yourself powers, you shouldn't have given yourself some at all. Now you impatient git, I work faster without a voice whining about speeding up because he's missing HacKWirE season 2 premiere.**_

There was silence after that, the only noise was the girls sniggering but Red X anger stopped them in their tracks. Red X and Robin continued to hack through his defences, they had only started three minutes ago and they were getting complaints from Kid Idiot. Red X shook it off and continued his assigned task with Robin.

 _Finally,_ He thought in relief.

 _ **Guys, got into his security!**_

 _ **Good, check for abnormalities then join us at drop point B.**_

* * *

 _ **Three hours before…**_

"Good!" called Black Canary "Now, Conner, remember your roundhouse kicks can't be too high or you won't get the person's face."

She demonstrated a quick high kick at him.

"You see how my knee bends inwards so I can lift and judge where the face is before kicking up?"

Conner grunted in response and tried again. His knee lifted up, bent inwards and he flicked his foot out straight towards Black Canary's face. She had to duck to evade the slick attack.

"Better!" Black Canary said, obviously pleased as she came up from the duck. She stopped fighting and motioned Conner to stop too, she was smiling.

"It's the end of the lesson, Conner; I have to leave and go to the Watchtower for patrol duty. Just work on your roundhouses and I promise next time we'll move onto karate chops. It should be easy enough for you."

Conner smiled too, bowed his head slightly and said politely, "Thank you, Black Canary."

"Bye, Conner!"

And she left for the Zeta tubes. After she left, Megan rushed up to him, her green face beaming. "You did great!" She said, planting a kiss on his lips, when she pulled away she was still beaming. "I made cookies for you!" She said and pulled Conner to the kitchen.

As lovebirds walked into the room, Megan reviewed what Conner did and just couldn't help feeling proud of her . . . her . . . boyfriend . . . could be so good at fighting, it was such a heroic sort of thing she saw in human movies, it was just plain romantic.

Megan sighed lost in her thought of evil dragons and Knight Conner swooping her up in his arms to battle the dragon…

Whilst on the other side of the room, at the multi devices area, Wally and Robin were playing Warfare 4 (which Robin had brought over for Wally two hours ago, when Robin's hand was carrying precious games, Artemis eye's narrowed; she remembered that when she it come out today in the game shop; it was very, _very_ expensive)

"KF! Quit hitting me in the face, he's your target, not me!"

"Sorry! New controls! I'm not used to it!"

"Same here, but I'm not the one complaining!"

Well you're a computerist and I'm not!"

"Dude, computerist is not a word. What's with your English, man?"

"WHATEVER!"

Robin smirked and turned back to his controls in alarm as KF slashed a fatal wound at Robin.

Just next to the two gamers, was Kaldur, who was submersed in a fantasy book, apparently in Atlantis, there wasn't such thing as fairy tales, but instead, stories about Ventures of the Brave Atlantic King. When Wally got his hands on that information, he had danced around the mountain singing,

"THE VENTURES OF THE BRAVE EARTH RUNNING KF!

THE VENTURES OF THE BRAVE EARTH RUNNING KF!

THE VENTURES OF THE BRAVE EARTH RUNNING KF!

THE VENTURES OF THE BRAVE EARTH RUNNING KF!"

Robin cackled alongside with the lame tune and watched amusedly as KF mimicked 'braveness', lost his balance and slammed into the wall. Dazed, he picked himself back up and continued to dancing, this time slightly out of beat.

In the background Red X just walked away, not able to take anymore stupidity.

It wasn't until Artemis ambushed him in the control room and hit the back of his head with her book (Eclipse) that shut him up. Kaldur bent over KF in slight fear, couldn't being able to tell if he was very injured. After investigating the boy, he tilted his head back to look up with respect at Artemis. She then kindly returned home and retrieved her own copy of the Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales and lent it to Kaldur. Wally complained, even a few days after this event that his heart hurt from Artemis's Heavy book, though the complaints were less now.

Right now, he was avoiding Artemis because after he had been bashed wither her book, she had returned with an even heavier and bigger book (Breaking Dawn) and just before she started to read she gave Wally the evil eye, then started reading the book quietly on the green plush sofa. Wally shuddered from the look Artemis gave him; Robin suspected that the reason why he wasn't playing well. He was far too busy glancing backwards to check Artemis wouldn't try and slam the book on his cranium.

Next to the plush sofa sat a double seat where Megan was feeding Conner cookies, she always backed special ones with almonds, since Conner seemed to especially loved that taste. They were talking quietly under their breaths about Superman and his unfair attitude towards Conner.

Then suddenly Batman's voice bounced around the room, "Team, report to debriefing room"

Once again it was Robin who got to the door first, this time he waited for all them to get to the door, then took off. It didn't take long for them to arrive; though when they got there Wally was rubbing his arm tenderly.

Batman frowned when he saw Artemis grinning proudly and Wally was clutching his and glaring at Artemis. But he dismissed it and launched into the subject as soon as they all arrived.

He first picked a photo out of the JL files; it was a man who had been mutated to look like a moth.

"Killer Moth is a criminal who uses hive mind bugs to do as he wishes; he had made attacks on multiple cities, but had mainly focused on Romania as his crime country. Recently, the trackers on Killer Moth had become less and less active and had eventually shut down in operation due to loss of use altogether"

Robin decided to then butt in,

"So are you complaining? I mean, he isn't very destructive, but he's still another criminal. Mybe he just decided to stop the criminal uses altogether because he we keep on kicking his ass"

Batman frowned at him,

"Language, Robin."

Before briefly returning to speaking,

"We aren't complaining. But it is strange that Killer Moth had a sudden change of heart"

Batman then pulled up a picture of a girl. She had silky blonde hair and baby blue eyes. Everything on her was pin, pink blouse with pink jeans, pink diamond necklace with pink sapphire earrings, and pink Gucci handbag to pink Dolce & Gabbana shoes. She was literally pink head to toe. She was about 13 and around the height of Red X and Robin but a bit shorter.

"Charming" Conner muttered sarcastically.

"This," continued Batman, "Is Kitten, daughter of Killer Moth"

"Daughter?" Artemis gasped "Daughter. Killer Moth is a mutant, how could he have a daughter?"

Batman at the single moment, almost looked bemused "We've investigated to a certain extent, the most we've found out is she's not . . . completely normal and that she and Red X hate each other. Mostly Red X. The other things you don't need to know. The only fact worth remembering in that Killer Moth has harbored a daughter"

"Where is Red X anyways?" Wally asked. "Right beside you" Red X answered, giving everyone in the room a fright. (Even Batman)

Black Canary, at that point, had decided to add in some info,

"There has been a collective rumour about Kitten reunited with her father in Romania, Bucharest" She pulled up a picture of Kitten sitting with a hooded large man and a dark haired boy in Café de Merry.

Red X subconsciously recited to himself: Bucharest, Fair Street, Block 18, first floor facing the north.

"But it was only recently confirmed." Finished off Black Canary.

Then Batman took over the talk again,

"We did at first decided to send you on a recon mission to observe Killer Moth's territory, leave then report. But another piece of information had arrived to us; Kitten was going to the Grand Ball. And we also found out that her 'boyfriend', Fang had left her two days ago"

"Kitten's been abandoned, like that cat I found in your house Artemis, hehe!" Wally mumbled under his breath, it was quiet enough so Artemis, who was standing next to him, could hear it, she elbowed him in the ribs.

"OW!" he hissed, now glaring fully at Artemis.

"So now instead of recon, you will be going to the Grand Ball that is being held by Princess Renzci," Batman flashed a look at Robin who seemed like he was going to interrupt him again. "Robin and Red X will observe the house very quickly for any abnormalities, then they will join you at the Ball, the Ball will now be referred to as drop point B. One of you will interrogate Kitten while dancing with her, once you have gotten the information about Killer Moth strangeness and the mutant harboring the girl you will return to the mountain to report. Any questions?

Robin let out a quick a sigh, everyone knew it meant 'FINALLY!' The he quickly launched in to his next question,

"Who will be the one 'interrogating' Kitten?"

Batman smirked slightly, but Black Canary decided to reply,

"Batman missed something out, when Fang left Kitten she was determined to make Fang jealous. She had asked especially for someone that she knew would make Fang jealous."

Robin rolled his eyes,

"Who is it?"

"Well since she doesn't know that Red X is alive, she asked for you. Apparently, she thinks he's you"

* * *

 **That was chapter 9 and I will continue to write the next chapter. Yes I know that I should have put Red X in Robin's place but I picked a different condition for Red X. For now you'll just have to wait and see.**

 **What clothes do you want them to wear? Especially Red X because he has blonde hair so he has to look bae. Bruce Wayne will not appear with Jason or be there because that would just look weird and Jason wearing contacts.**

 **If you enjoyed this chapter leave a comment or pm me.**

 **And don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 R**

 **Hi guys. This is the new chapter you've been waiting for! Chapter 10 and now it's up and running, like my brain and creativity. But I will add a brief OC for the plot. I'll make up the name later . . . apparently I'm a very lazy person.**

 **Thanks PikaWings, I might add a peircing on his eyebrow.**

 **So now to the story, sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

Red X and Robin typed furiously trying to hack into the enemy's security system.

 _My god, Robin thought, what is it with these paranoid people? Placing like a million of firewalls just for basic security, cam and random stuff totally not worth my time. As if they think people are gonna hack their systems to spy on them . . . heh. I **am** spying on them…_

 _ **Rob!**_

Robin paused his typing and frowned a little; couldn't Megan ever adjust the volume of the voices? Robin did have to say KF was pretty badly timed for random conversations . . . namely: now.

 ** _What, KF?_**

 ** _Dude, ditch your James Bond thoughts, you're taking ages! We're supposed to be in drop point B!_**

Eyebrows twitching in irritation, he turned back to his holocomputer and began hacking furiously whilst replying to KF.

 ** _Security system is tight; I didn't pack all of the hacking tools._**

 ** _Yes well, Rob, and aren't you supposed to be the famed one, able to hack eleven firewalls in a matter of minutes with whatever tool in your hand?_**

 ** _Who told you that load of crap? … no matter how complimenting it seems, I'm in the middle of hacking six firewalls while Red X is doing twelve._**

Kid Flash went quiet, then,

 ** _Never mind, just speed up!_**

 ** _You try hacking six high tech firewalls in two minutes, then tell me to speed up. Mr. I Can Do Anything Fast Except For Hacking!_**

 ** _Just-_**

A pissed off Red X cut him off completely.

 ** _Wallace Rudolph West! If you knew you wouldn't have patience when you gave yourself powers, you shouldn't have given yourself some at all. Now you impatient git, I work faster without a voice whining about speeding up because he's missing HacKWirE season 2 premiere._**

There was silence after that, the only noise was the girls sniggering but Red X anger stopped them in their tracks. Red X and Robin continued to hack through his defences, they had only started three minutes ago and they were getting complaints from Kid Idiot. Red X shook it off and continued his assigned task with Robin.

 _Finally_ , He thought in relief.

 ** _Guys, got into his security!_**

 ** _Good, check for abnormalities then join us at the base._**

Robin and Red X checked the cameras quickly but nothing was out of the ordinary. Killer Moth was sitting on the couch watching TV, with a glass of wine in his hand. The kitchen was clean, it usually was covered with blueprints for his new plans. The whole house was clean.

 _ **Nothing out of the ordinary we're on our way to the base.**_

 _ **Ok, Aqualad out.**_

Red X pressed a button on his gauntlet, a second later a beautiful black motorbike came into view. He hopped onto it and waited for Robin. Robin sat behind him and placed his arms around Red's waist. He blushed a little a he could make out an outline of hard, strong muscles. **(Womanizer, womanizer, oh womanizer, oh womanizer, oh, you're a womanizer baby).** Red X revved up his engine and went full throttle. Robin held on even tighter and shielded his face from the wind by putting his head on Red X's back.

His blush intensified as he realized what he did. But Red X didn't react, he was just concentrated on getting to their destination. Two minutes later they reached the base where a few mentors and team were. They got off and went inside. Everyone was dressed and ready.

Miss Martian wasn't green anymore and her red hair was shorter, just to her nape, and it was done in waves that curled elegantly around her face. Her white sleeveless dress had a deep 'v' neckline showing some of her cleavage and a flowing skirt that reached a couple of inches past her knees. It looked like it would flutter nicely with the breeze…

Megan looked a lot like a red-haired version of Marilyn Monroe in her ensemble. And Miss Monroe was one of the hottest ladies in history.

Zatanna wore a deep blue long dress with rhinestones around her upper half. It was a flowy dress with no straps that hugged her in all the right places. She wore gold hoop earrings and a necklace. She wore black stilettos and a black purse. She looked like a real model in the making.

Batgirl couldn't come to Romania because she had school.

Artemis on the other hand, had her long blond hair down and done in big ring-curls that reached her mid-back. She wore a golden ornament that wounded around her whole upper arm, and a black purse was slung on her shoulder with a thin golden chain.

Their female archer had on a long deep-green silk gown that hugged her curves and accented them nicely. Twin slits ran along the sides of her dress up to her (milky-white) mid-thighs. The slits were probably designed more as to ease movement in case of emergency than to show off her legs, but they were still stare-worthy.

Wally wore a simple grey suit a yellow tie and black shoes to make him look casual. His hair was mildly tamed with gel and hairspray. His suit fit snug on him but it looked good none the less. He had buttons made of black diamonds on his cuffs for the wow factor.

The clone was wearing a classic black tuxedo with a white handkerchief neatly folded in his breast pocket, his ebony hair was slicked back and he was given a silver thin-framed pair of eyeglasses to wear over his blue eyes in a bold attempt to make the buff and gruff kid look like a fine young man.

Kaldur brushed the sleeve of his immaculate midnight blue military-style formal jacket. It was completed by fancy shoulder pads with stripes of royal distinction and golden chords hanging around across his chest with a deep red stone (garnet maybe?) pinned on the end.

"Red X! Robin! Time to get dressed. Hurry!" Megan showed them their separate rooms. Red X and Robin went into their separate rooms and started to get dressed. Red X, now John was half way done, he just needed to put on his shirt but then he heard the door open and close behind him. He turned around to see his girlfriend walking toward him, wearing a stunning dress.

Her hair was curled in a movie star look. Melissa wore a military corps blood red dress. It showed off her tanned back but had two gold rhinestone straps. Her dress hugged her in all the right places. A slit was in the middle that showed off her beautiful legs. She had gold crystal heels and bangles on her right arm to match. And make up to beat them all.

She looked like the bell of the ball.

She put her arms around John's neck and he wasted no time putting his around her waist. He smirked as she let a small, surprised yelp as he possessively pulled her even closer towards him. "What brings you here?" John kissed down her neck gently. Melissa lightly moaned and tangled her soft hands in his hair. **(Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer, baby!)**

She tilted her head to the side to give him better access. She ran a hand down his abs. "I just . . . came to see if . . . you were ready . . . that's all" she breathed, John nuzzled the sweet spot on her neck that he only knew about. She softly gasped, her legs turned to jelly. John caught her, supporting her by pressing her against his body. His kissed her passionately on the lips, stroking her exposed back. He didn't go any further as he was a _respectful_ and _clean_ person.

They broke apart and stared into each other's eyes. The hunger and lust in John's eyes sent a shiver down Melissa's back. Their kisses got hungrier, more passionate but they soon had to end it as they heard Wally yell, "Why are they taking so long?" Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other. John got back to getting dressed while Melissa waited patiently on the chair, one leg over the other.

Every now and then they would glance at each other, eyelids heavy. John glanced at Melissa's legs as they moved, lifting a bit of her dress up she didn't bother to fix. He was pretty sure she was teasing him. If she kept going in the ways she's going, he wouldn't be able to control himself for much longer.

Melissa looked as John put on a white shirt, covering his well-defined tanned skinned abs. She bit her lip slightly, it took all of her willpower not to go over there and straddle him. She briefly smirked as she moved her leg, catching the attention of John. She watched him clenched the sides of the table and worked to slow down his breathing.

He took off his domino mask, revealing his light brown eyes. **(A/N: I didn't want him to have his blue eyes just in case he gets captured and gets his mask removed)** "Should I stay with these eyes or revert back?" he asked. Melissa came behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Keep them brown, I'm a sucker for them" John smirked and turned around.

"Come on, we have to go. Maybe if the mission ends quickly we can have some time to ourselves." John planted a chaste kiss on her lips and opened the door. "WAIT!" Melissa took out a pair of nerd glasses and put it on him. "Much better" They walked down toward the group as they gasped. Some mouths were even dropped.

John was wearing a blue power suit with a matching waistcoat. He had on a pair of brown shoes to stand out from outfit and made him a bit higher in height. His blonde hair was styled, well, not really because his hair always looks spiky like Ryan Higa. He had nerd glasses and for the final touch, Rolex on his left wrist. He looked like a young David Beckham when he first started playing football.

"Wow, you guys look amazing" Robin commented, "What should we call you?" John and Melissa had a silent conversation before answering, "You can call me John and her, Melissa" He said in his slightly deep voice. He glared at Wally, who was openly staring at his girlfriend's legs. He was about to go over and beat that speedster for all he was worth but Melissa, who was right beside him, put a hand on his back and rubbed circles until he calmed down.

"Wally, stop staring at my legs and have respect" Melissa glared at him. Wally blushed and mumbled his apology. Batman frowned at his behaviour but waved it off. He couldn't help but look at John's eyes, they were so bright, swirling with emotion that he never showed or seen before. Their eyes were somehow alike. Now he really wanted to know who John really was because there is no way he would trust the team with his real identity.

"Ok, time to go" Batman stated. Everyone moved except John and Melissa, "We're going by royalty" She explained. They walked out the base, John whistled and then a limo came in way. They hopped in the limo with John helping Melissa in first. Then they drove away. Toward the venue.

The team got in the Bioship and flew towards it too. "How come John gets to go with Melissa?" Zatanna whined. "Because they're best friends and he doesn't like you" Robin answered, smiling at the old memories. Zatanna frowned and crossed her arms. "Is it me or do you guys get the vibe that they're a couple?" Megan asked. Robin and Artemis nodded but the others shrugged. "I haven't noticed but John is kinda too different and distant" Conner answered. "Let's just hurry up we can't keep Kitten waiting" Wally said. Robin groaned.

The team nodded and continued the journey in silence. They soon reached the Grande Ball and awed at how bright and beautiful it looked. The camouflaged Bioship landed on the roof. They went to the front of the building and watched out for Kitten. Kaldur pushed Robin forward toward the pink limo pulling up; Robin threw Kaldur a quick dirty look. "Please don't be her" Robin whispered over and over again. But then…

"ROBBIE-POOO!" Kitten yelled running towards Robin. Ok, either she's glad to see me or she's just crazy enough to run in six inch heels at a fast pace, Robin thought. Kitten latched onto him and squeezed, Robin gasped for air and tried to pry his way out of Kitten's death grip. "Hey Kitten" Robin groaned, resisting the urge to face palm himself, not that he could anyways. Apparently he was being squeezed by a cobra.

"I thought you would never come. It's not nice to keep a girl waiting" She stated, circling a part of Robin's chest with her finger, then she screamed louder than an intercom, "NOT LIKE MY EX FANG!" "Yeah sorry. Let's just go inside already" Robin sighed, uncovering his ears. He led her into the Ballroom. She awed at the sight and latched onto Robin's arm. "This will be the place we get married" Kitten announced. Robin chocked on air but said nothing. He kept his cool, like how Red X thought him to do.

"Let's go have some conversations with these teenagers around and rub it in their faces that we're dating" Robin was suddenly pulled toward a bunch of people by Kitten. She was about to say something but then she heard the paparazzi's camera clicking.

On top of the stairs was John escorting the Princess Renzci and Melissa down the red fur stairs, like a playboy supreme. The paparazzi were going crazy and Kitten had her eyes on the guy. "He looks familiar to me" Kitten whispered. Robin then cut in, "Probably just imaging things" Robin lied smoothly.

"Yeah. Come on Robbie-poo, let's meet them" Kitten dragged him once again.

* * *

 **That was chapter 10 and sorry for not posting earlier but you know me. I hate typing but I still do it for you guys and for my entertainment. I enjoyed writing this chapter but I do hope you enjoyed reading it.**

 **And don't forget to READ&REVIEW!**

 **Blue out;]**


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11 R**

 **Hey guys this is Nightcrawler509 reporting for duty with chapter 11 for you bros. I know some of you are wondering what Red X's backstory is but I will reveal it soon to you all but not now, it's now the right time.**

 **But that won't stop me from doing flashbacks! \^_^/**

 **So please sit down, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

All eyes were on John, some sneaking glances and others doing it openly. He looked like an angel.

Kitten stopped in front of John and the young ladies with Robin being dragged. "Who are you?" She asked rather rudely. John raised an eyebrow but did nothing more. "I am Princess Renzci and this is John and Melissa" Renzci introduced. Melissa waved and John gave her curt nod (In the good, mannerly way).

"Nice to meet you" Robin shook their hands and offered them his billionaire smile. "Sorry to end this conversation but we have people to discuss business with" Princess Renzci lied smoothly, just to get Kitten as far away from John before she noticed who he was. The three went their separate ways.

"Oh well." Kitten stated, then turned to Robin and smiled, "It's so nice to be with you again. I remember when I first met you, when we were ten. It was a summer's day, you tagged along with your dad to my house. You would talk to me and my sister and sometimes go outside with us. But you never showed your eyes" Kitten told a confused Robin. Robin just smiled and nodded.

He needed to get off this topic before she asked him something about the past he had no idea about. "Let's dance" He said leading her toward the dancefloor. As they danced he asked, "So tell me about Killer Moth."

 ***With the team***

The team watched as Robin danced with Kitten, faking a smile every now and then. But they were more interested in John, he was getting girls left and right of all ages. He looked like a Wayne, a millionaire playboy. John said something putting a hand on his chest and leaning in slightly. The girls all laughed and gazed dreamily at John.

"Real charmer he is" Wally commented. Kyle agreed with Wally, "He acts like he is one of them. It is very interesting to watch how he mingles with others" he stated, watching in fascination. "Conner, what's he saying?" Artemis asked as John talked to the women surrounding him. It wasn't that she didn't respect her teammate's privacy but she was really curious.

"He asked if they came alone. The women: We didn't but apparently the men were more interested on doing boy talk about football. John: Hey there's nothing wrong with football. I honestly love the game, you know getting _down and dirty_ , covered in mud but it's in the end you find the beauty you've been looking for the entire game." Conner translated and then blushed as he understood it. And so did the others.

The girls giggled and blushed, understanding it too. John then took off his jacket, reveal his lithe muscular body. Artemis and Megan couldn't help but gaze at his legs. John then excused himself and walked toward them with his jacket slung over his shoulder. Looking like a dapper.

"Eyes travelling down somewhere else ladies" John smirked as the girls blushed. "An examination never hurt and you seemed to have passed" Artemis said recovering from her embarrassing moment. John laughed, but it wasn't a normal laugh. It was a laugh that the corrupted world needed, so filled with joy and happiness. So much innocence.

The laugh echoed around the room, catching the attention of everyone. They glared at Artemis for making the angel laugh when they wanted him to themselves, and theirs alone. Artemis looked around her and back to John. "I never caught your names" John stated. "I'm Artemis and this is Megan" Artemis introduced while Megan smiled.

John bowed at Artemis and took Megan's hand and kissed it, causing Megan to blush. Would one of you like to dance?" He asked. "Megan you can" Artemis said. "Ok" she answered. John led her to the dancefloor by her hand. They got into position then pranced around the room as if they were one. They stared into each other's eyes focused.

At the end of the song they bowed and walked off. "I would love to stay and chat but I can't leave the Princess waiting" John kissed her hand one more time and left. Megan blushed and walked toward her team with her head down. "His eyes are just so full of emotion" she explained to their silent question.

 ***With John on the balcony***

John's face lost its smirk and went back to its usual stoic look. He leaned against the stone wall and waited for Renzci. She soon arrived, and turned to face him. "Any news on Killer Moth?" John asked. Renzci shook her head. "No, he's the least of your problems, Fang is on the loose as well as the Ravens" Renzci stated. John rolled his eyes, "I'll keep an eye out for them. Here's a tracer just in case" He handed her a tracer that she put on her ear that was covered by her long hair. She bowed slightly and left.

John sighed and closed his eyes, taking in the fresh cool air but still on guard. After a few minutes of silence and serenity he heard footsteps. He opened his eyes and smirked slightly as he sensed it was his girlfriend. She smiled back and leaned against him, "To think about staying here with you leaving doesn't feel right" she whispered. John wrapped her up in his jacket and caressed her cheek.

"I know but your family need you to be there. Don't you wanna see them again?" John asked. "Yeah but-" "Then go see them again. They've missed you for five years, they'll be happy to see you and Scorpion again after so long." John interrupted gently. Melissa leaned in onto John's warm hand, looking up at him sadly. "I promise I'll make time for just the two of us, even if it's only a little, but please don't leave them for my sake" Melissa nodded. John lifted her head a bit and captured her lips in his.

She held onto him, not wanting to let him go. John gently tried to pull away, not wanting to make it any harder to let her go, but she wouldn't have it, he kissed her again, savoring every moment. They didn't care who saw them there, tonight it was about them alone and no one else. "Me gamau dut, Melissa. **I love you, Melissa** " John breathed so only she could hear as they broke apart. **(A/N: That was real Romani, I swear. I just couldn't find the translator)**

"Me gamau dut, John. **I love you, John** " Melissa whispered back. They held onto each other, enjoying their time together. "Why don't you stay here with me" Melissa suggested. "I will soon, but first I have some things to clear up then I'll join you. I promise" Melissa smiled and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her beautiful hazel eyes. He buried his face his her wavy hair, taking in its aroma of summer fruits and roses. He didn't want to let her go but she had a family, she's the only one he had left. But it wasn't right to keep her with him.

"Do you remember the first time we meet?" John asked. Melissa giggled, "Of course I do. You were walking through the woods on a sunny day and was singing 'saltwater room'. I was there too singing and soon it led us to each other, where we first met and became good friends and more, later on" Melissa laughed, "That's been our song ever since." John smirked and took her arms and wrapped them around his neck and put his around her waist. "It wouldn't be a beautiful night without a last dance" John commented.

They started to dance around slowly. _"I opened my eyes last night and saw you in the low light. Walking down by the bay, on the shore, staring up at the planes that aren't there anymore. I was feeling the night grow old and you were looking so cold. Like an introvert, I drew my over shirt. Around my arms and began to shiver violently before... You happened to look and see the tunnels all around me. Running into the dark underground. All the subways around create a great sound. To my motion fatigue farewell, with your ear to a seashell. You can hear the waves in underwater caves. As if you actually were inside a saltwater room"_ **(They're singing this vocally)**

Melissa smiled and joined in. _"Time together is just never quite enough"_

" _When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home"_

" _What will it take to make or break this hint of love?"_ Then they sung together for the next part, _"We need time, only time"_

" _When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?"_

" _If this is what I call home. Why does it feel so alone?"_

" _So tell me, darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?"_

" _All the time, all the time"_

" _Can you believe that the crew has gone and wouldn't let me sign on? All my islands have sunk in the deep, so I can hardly relax or even oversleep. I feel as if I were home some nights, when we count all the ship lights. I guess I'll never know why sparrows love the snow. We'll turn off all of the lights and set this ballroom aglow"_ John sung.

" _So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love? All the time" Melissa added, "Time together is just never quite enough"_

" _When you and I are alone, I've never felt so at home"_

" _What will it take to make or break this hint of love?"_

" _We need time, only time"_

" _When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?"_

" _If this is what I call home. Why does it feel so alone?"_

" _So tell me, darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?"_

" _All the time, all the time"_

" _Time together is just never quite enough_

 _When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?_

 _What will it take to make or break this hint of love?_

 _So tell me, darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?"_

" _All the time"_ They sung the last line of the song with their hands entwined. They both laughed and hugged.

 _ **Team, I got all the information I need from Kitten. Killer Moth had a change of heart but I'm not sure about her ex, Fang. He decided to lay low for a while.**_

 _ **Good work, Robin. Let us leave and go report to Batman.**_

But then Wally started moaning.

 _ **No not yet! I'm about to get a girl's number. Give me ten minutes at least.**_

Kyle sighed, _ **Fine but no more**_

 _ **Thanks!**_

John and Melissa shook their heads. "We should go back inside and mingle before anyone realizes we're gone" John and Melissa went their separate ways yet again. Well . . . the girls dragged John away and the boys dragged Melissa away.

John was surrounded by females from every corner. The girl Wally was talking to even came over. They were all clawing at him and talking at once. "Ladies, ladies. One at a time, if you all talk as one how can I individually hear your beautiful voices? No matter how heavenly you all sound together" He smirked.

The girls giggled and acted shy. "When will you be coming back?" One girl asked, John remembered her name as Sarah. "Well Sarah, I don't really know because I came all the way here from America. But I'll try and come back as soon as I can, there's no staying away from stunning women like you all" John said smoothly.

The girls blushed. The girls gave him their numbers which he took. "Till next time" He winked at them and left. A few of the girls fainted as the others gazed dreamily after him. He walked over to the other side of the room where he leaned against the wall and observed certain people and checked signs for a threat. He honed in on his hearing and sight, it was just then he heard a slashing noise. It sounded like a shruiken was being thrown.

 _ **Morse, put a Renzci in a protective shield now!**_

Megan did just that as the shruiken embedded itself halfway through the shield. Renzci looked bored, not at all shocked or scared. Then suddenly the dark clan swooped in from the balcony. They were known as the Ravens, the deadliest and mysterious group, known for striking fear into the heart of their prey but the team didn't know that, they thought they were evil. The guests started running out of the room in a hurry.

The team got into fighting stances but Melissa, John and Renzci just sat at a nearby table. "Look who it is! The baby league" The leader laughed. "We're not the babies" The team stated as they charged at them. Soon enough the battle began, but the leader wasn't fighting, instead he sat down beside the John and watched. He whistled and his men backed down.

The team were very confused by this. John face palmed while the leader just laughed. "John, is there something you're not telling us?" Kaldur asked, frowning. "All because they're wearing all black doesn't make them evil." John sighed. The team blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry" They said in unison. "It's fine" the leader said. He then stood up and pulled John into a hug.

"How's my little brother?" He asked. The team fainted anime style, "WHAT!?" John dusted himself off after he got out of the man's grip, "I'm fine but I'd prefer if you'd stop seeing me as one, Frost." "I'll never stop seeing you as one. And I've got you some personal information you might want to know" Frost said, He bent down and whispered in John's ear and passed him a package. John nodded and thanked Frost.

"So I heard Melissa's returning home. Would you mind if I tag along? I haven't seen my sister in ages" Frost stated. The team nodded, they wanted to know more about John's life. Frost gave an order for the men to leave and walked toward the ship with the team leading. He would occasionally poke John and John would show no emotion or smack him. No surprize there.

As the ship flew to the destination Melissa gave directions, she went to change into casual clothing then after John changed into his Red X suit. They all sat down in silence until Zatanna broke it, "What kind of person was John?" "Well, he was a kid with a lot of spunk and could wrap you around his finger in seconds. He's dangerously smart, devious and loved butchering the English language to annoy people" Frost answered.

"What's his backstory?" Kaldur asked. Frost looked at Red X, who was shaking his head. "If Red X hasn't told you then I can't either" Frost stated. Kaldur nodded, a bit deflated that he couldn't find out anything. "Sorry, I would tell you but he's more paranoid than Batman" Frost smiled. The team laughed.

"We're here" Megan announced. She landed the Bioship and they got out. The mentors were there too talking to the parents, Ravager and Scorpion, Melissa let out a shaky breath. Red X put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle push. "Mom. Dad" She called out. They turned their attention to her and grinned, they ran towards her and so did she. Her dad picked her up and spun her around before engulfing her in a hug along with her mother.

"We're so glad you're back. Your brothers and sisters will be very happy that you're back" the mother cried. "I've missed you so much" her dad smiled. Red X flinched, when was the last time he was told he was missed by his family? The only time he heard it was…

He couldn't remember, was it that long ago?

He watched as the parents thanked the team and the leaguers and talked to them; the rest of the family ran out of the house and hugged Melissa. Red X didn't want to be there anymore. He silently escaped but what he missed was Batman looking at him with a concerned look on his face. He headed to the old abandoned elementary school he would go to as a child. He soon reached the school and walked inside. He looked around and wandered the building slowly, taking in every detail.

He remembered the first day he ever came in here. It was a sunny day and he went for a wander around as he had nothing else to do. He stumbled across the building along the way, his curiosity got the best of him and he went inside. It looked so beautiful in the sunlight, especially since the windows were a slightly light brown colour. He found several interesting stuff in there, like a pair of 90's skates just his size, nice clothing, a nice pair of glasses he still had today, boots, weapons, a guitar and a skateboard.

He found bedrooms and classes, it was like a house full for a big family of children. Later on that day he searched up the history behind it and it said that one day there was a storm and after it they as in the teacher who ran the place and the children that loved her, just disappeared with no trace left behind. He would always think that they just left the country and moved on with their lives.

He would always return to this school whenever he needed to be alone or if he had free time. Once he actually slept here because he was so upset about his family, how they fell apart. But this place always made him feel safe, no one knew that he came here. Somewhere only he knew.

Red X ran his finger across the bookshelf, taking account of what books he read here. He sighed, thinking about the days where he was just happy all the time, he couldn't be really happy now. Melissa made him happy but his heart was missing something that he couldn't figure out. But maybe one day he'd find it. Heck, he couldn't even smile anymore, only smirk.

Red X opened the fire escape door on the roof and looked at the beautiful stars in the sky. He sat down at the corner of the building, his legs dangling down the side of the building, and continued to star gaze. "Don't you get tired of following people, Batman?" Red X asked, not bothering to look at the dark knight who was beside him. "I figured I'd see something interesting if I followed you and I guess I did. This place has a beautiful view" Batma sat down beside him and gazed up at the stars as well.

They didn't talked for a while but admired that something on Earth wasn't corrupted. The stars filled the sky with wonder, they were like lights helping you see through the patch of darkness. "Why did you really follow me?" Red X asked. "The others are worried about you. Frost went ballistic and had a panic attack, screaming that he lost his baby brother. The family want to meet you and thank you for keeping Melissa safe and Melissa's worried." Batman answered, leaving out the sentence that said _'and so was I, I was worried too'_ fade into the darkness beyond.

They were . . . worried . . . about Red X? That was new to him, he kept a distance between him and the others, well, except with Artemis and Robin. So why were they worrying? This confused Red X to no end. If this was five years ago he would understand, back then he would have felt emotion instead of faking it like he did for the mission. The only one who could bring real emotion out of him was Melissa and small children of innocence. The rest always left him feeling angry…

Or betrayed and even worse . . . both.

Red X snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his right shoulder that caused him to flinch. He didn't like being touched on his right shoulder, it brought back bad memories. He stood up so Batman's hand wasn't on his shoulder. "Then let's go" Red X stated. Batman frowned a little but then nodded and stood up. "Do you have a grappling hook?" Batman asked. Red X shook his head, "Mine broke from trying to hang Zatara"

"You can hold onto me so we can get there quick" Batman said. Red X put his arms around Batman's neck as he soared through the air. Batman felt oddly happy that trusted him enough to get him back to the house and that he held on. Batman remembered being held onto like that from a long time ago.

 ***Flashback start***

 _Bruce and Alfred walked through the circus grounds looking at the entertainment. "Happy that I convinced you to come now, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked. Bruce nodded while Alfred smirked, it took a lot of convincing and blackmail to get him to come and so far he was enjoying himself. But he was really excited to see The Flying Graysons for the two days they were here. He heard that they were amazing to watch and it looked like they could fly._

" _So whe-" Bruce stumbled forward slightly as something landed on his back. When he regained his composure he looked up to see what was on his back. Alfred just looked surprized but yet amused. On his back was a kid about in and around the age of five and a half. The child had black messy hair and vibrant blue eyes brighter than the sky itself._

" _Hi! I'm Dick Grayson, what's your name?" He grinned, while sending a wave at Alfred. Bruce would have removed him or told him off but there was something about him that made him want to know him. "I'm Bruce Wayne and this is Alfred" Bruce answered. Dick beamed and waved once more, "Oh and sorry about jumping on your back, you just looked like ninja in disguise. Hey, you could even be Batman" Dick laughed adorably with Alfred and Bruce joining in. The boy didn't know how right he was._

 _Just then two adults ran toward them. "Dick you're here! You had me worried sick" His mother fussed. "Thank you for taking care of him. My name is John and this is my wife Mary" John held out his hand and Bruce shook it. "It was no problem whatsoever, he's very bright person to talk to" Bruce smiled. "Tati, can I show him around?" Dick asked, giving him the classic puppy eyes look. "Fine but be back at the trailer soon" John laughed, ruffling his son's hair._

 _Dick jumped off Bruce's back and took him by the hand and started leading him around with Alfred following along, happy to see Bruce smiling so brightly. Dick talked about a number of places around the circus and how they turned to be a part of the circus. Bruce paid attention to everything he said. Dick even taught him some Romani, his native language._

 _And for the first time Bruce laughed and smiled the entire day._

 ***Flashback end***

Batman landed behind the Bioship; Red X let go of Batman and walked towards the house with Batman beside him. The family saw him and smiled. The brothers and sisters hugged him as he got close enough. Red X visibly tensed up, obviously uncomfortable with what was going on. The parents called them away noting that he looked tense. The parents approached him and shook his hand.

"Thank you for helping Melissa and keeping her safe. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask" The father stated. Red X bowed slightly instead of talking. Frost then caught him in a bear hug, "You scared me, don't run off like that" Frost scolded. Red X moved his head to show he was rolling his eyes. Frost put him down and gave him a sad smile and motioned for him to turn around.

Red X did so cautiously, he froze when he saw Ravager. "Hi" She smiled, giving him a little wave hoping that he would return it. Red X just stared at her, remembering everything of what she did to him. The feeling of betrayal and anger. The others watched the tension grow between them. Ravager looked down a brief minute before looking back at Red X.

Frost put a hand on Red X's shoulder but Red X slapped it away. "You planned this. You got Batman to follow me so I would come back and talk to her" Red X said, anger slipped into his metallic voice slightly. Frost flinched, "You can't keep going on like this. I know you're hurt, but if you want to feel better you have to move past it and forgive. It's what they would have wanted" Frost said gently.

" _Don't_ talk about them ever again, you don't know what they would have wanted. You don't know me and never will, you're _nothing_ to me" Red X snarled, he pressed a button on his glove. A black ship came down and opened a door. Red X walked towards it, Frost made a grab for him but Red X turned around and uppercut him before walking away again.

Once in the ship the door closed and the ship flew away at top speed. Frost picked himself off the floor and wiped away the blood. Ravager was looking at the ground with tears coming down her face. Scorpion –scratch that- Lucy hugged her, Ravager looked at Melissa and tried to talk but she shook her head and walked into the house. The family said their goodbyes and walked inside too.

The team got into the Bioship and flew home. The only sound was Ravager sniffling. Batman tried to contact Red X but it didn't work. He tried sending Red X a message.

 _Red X, answer me, I know you probably angry with me but I want to apologize._

Red X answered a minute later,

 _Apology not accepted. I can't believe those words or anything that comes from you now. They've been used too many times to still have a meaning to me. And it won't change anything will it? I thought I could trust you, but, I guess I was wrong wasn't I?_

 _My stuff won't be at the mount when you return, I'm moving into my base. I'll appear to the mountain today though._

Batman felt like he let Red X fall when he assured Red X that he would hold on and never let go.

 _Will there be any different way to contact you?_

Red X replied straight away.

 _Ask Robin or Huntress if you want to contact me…_

 _And you can forget about us going on patrol in Gotham, I have get my bases into shape_

Batman deflated and cursed himself for being so stupid for ruining his chance to get to know Red X better. He was really looking forward to it.

 ***BREAKLINE***

 **(In America it's sunny but close to night)**

Red X cleaned his base and moved objects around until he was happy with it in its new place. He moved room to room leaving each super clean. The last place he fixed was the gym, he spent extra time on it. He added acrobatic equipments, body building equipment, normal ones you would find in a gym and his own two equipment he made personally just for him. They were called the 'Death zone' and 'Challenge X'.

Challenge X is a simulator used to test your abilities against virtual enemies and disguises and missions and much more. Challenge X had a hard drive where files on villains and heroes were kept, if you wanted to take them on they would appear. The simulations had levels to it and it could cause you virtual pain and you could die in it too. If you did you could either choose to continue on again or give up. For the simulation to work you'd have to wear a band and once taken off the pain would leave as well.

Death zone is used to test your agility, speed, strength, reflexes, patience and how smart you are at thinking on your feet. This also had levels to it, 1 – 20 to be precise. It is really smart and could create things to deceive you and virtually kill you. Red X reached level 13 and things were much faster in that level, he found them difficult even though he built it. But he did it to challenge him in every way. Level 12 was hard but not impossible. He had knives being thrown at him in every direction and he was still blind at the time. He completed it with barely any scratches on him.

They made him feel like he accomplished something and taught him many abilities.

Talking about blind, Red X took out the package Frost gave him. He took out the liquid substance from it. "Well, if this gets my sight back" He sighed, he put a few droplets in his eyes. He changed into his civvies and put on a pair of sunglasses. He headed toward the mountain with 'Challenge X' and 'Death Zone'.

* * *

 **That was chapter eleven and it took me nine pages in word document. WOW! That's the most I've ever written for a chapter. Damn! I just got so lost in the plot. Oh and Frost is Grant he just doesn't look like him. The reason his name is nicknamed Frost is because his hair is snow white.**

 **And if you're wondering how he carried 'Challenge X' and 'Death Zone' to the mountain is because they can transform back into the original size when commanded to and turn small too.**

 **How would you like Ravager and Red X to become friends again? Give me ideas and I'll write about it.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12 R**

 **Hey guys!**

 **I have the new chapter ready to go now. Sorry if I kept you all waiting for this chapter but school semester 3 exams coming up and I need to study to pass. But no fear I will update as soon as I can during the time but I have to do a lot of study.**

 **I don't own anything except a few things. If I owned everything Deathstroke and Nightwing's hateful relationship would be what season three is about and Jason would come back and there would be scenes in Gotham.**

 **So sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

Red X changed into his training outfit and did a quick warm up. He bind his entire arms with black bandage, but left his fingers free. He activated 'Challenge X' as he put on grey bands on each wrist, they formed his signature X on the back of his hands. "Challenge X, bring up hero files" He stated. The machine did as it was told; a column appeared in front of him.

"Activate Justice League" Red X ordered. "Justice League activated" The computer responded in a female robotic voice as it materialized the Justice League. Red X got into a fighting stance and strategized about how he would go around this. And just as he thought the Flash came running at him with his arm slung back, going for a punch. Red X side kicked Flash in the gut and flipped him over, landing him hard against the wall.

That was when the rest decided to attack. Batman threw a batarang at Red X which he easily dodged. The attack was followed by a mace swinging Hawkgirl. Red X flipped onto her back and used her wings to steer her into Wonder Woman. After they collapsed Red X jumped off, while dodging arrows in mid-air. Wonder Woman flew up to him at full speed but Red X changed the direction he was going like a whiplash to kick her at the right temple with the heel of his foot. (Steeled combat boots in black).

Red X landed on Green Arrow's shoulders and threw him off balance. Green Arrow regained his balance and shot a knock out gas arrow at him, Red X caught it and threw it back at him with deadly accuracy that Green Arrow couldn't dodge it because of the speed.

Red X narrowly dodged Superman's lasers, he let Superman get close enough so he could catch the massive fist aimed at him. "meab ygrenE!" Zatara yelled, aiming for Red X. He moved and threw Superman in the way. Superman let out a pain filled cry as he hit the wall. Red X threw the Batarang from earlier at Zatara but attached a little surprize to it. "pots gnarataB" Zatara commanded, it stopped right in front of him. Zatara heard a soft beeping noise coming from the batarang, his eyes widened and made a move to throw it away but it already exploded. It took out everyone except Batman.

The room lay silent. Red X looked up at the rafters, sensing that was where Batman was. Batman jumped down and got into a fighting stance; Red X mirrored him and waited, looking for any weaknesses. ' _Weaknesses: weapons and unarmoured parts in suit. Strength: hand – to – hand combat and martial arts. But how will he do against speed, agility and brutality?'_ Red X thought.

Batman and Red X circled each other, tensing up for the fight ahead. They both stopped and glared at one another. The silence was so thick that you could slice it in half with a knife. The only sound that could be heard was water dripping.

Drip…

Drop…

Drip…

…Drop…

As if the water was a bell, they started attacking each other with hard brutal blows. They were moving so fast that you wouldn't be able to see their fists flying. It was like they were evenly matched in hand – to – hand combat. Watching them would be like seeing a synchronized dance professionally done to perfection.

Batman aimed for Red X with a kick but Red X used Batman's leg to flip away, giving them both some space. Red X subconsciously got down into a slight crouch. He then ran at Batman, Batman went in for a punch but Red X flipped onto it. Batman tried again but Red X continued to use his body as a jungle gym. _'It's now or never'_ Red X thought.

Batman tried to elbow him but Red X flipped into a full crouch in front of Batman but facing away. Red X did a back tumble through Batman's legs and once on the other side he jumped onto him and wrapped his legs around his neck. Red X used some momentum to pull him and Batman down in an arch position but when he was close to the floor he planted his hands, a few spaces apart, on the floor. He used the falling momentum to flick his legs forward, sending Batman at the wall, leaving a large crater as he slid down the wall.

" **Status:** **Challenge complete. Reached level 10** " Challenge X stated. The fallen league faded away straight after. Ren X cracked his knuckles and slightly unwound himself. "Challenge X deform" Red X said, the machine did just that. Red X picked up the little cube and put it away. "What the hell was that?" He heard. He turned around to see that the heroes were standing at the entrance with a shocked look on their faces.

Red X paid them no heed and picked up his bag. He walked through the crowd and toward the garage. The heroes followed him dumbfounded about how a mere child could do what they had witnessed. "What was that machine?" Megan asked. "That was Challenge X" Red X answered. "Where did you get it?" Superman asked. "I created it to challenge myself" Red X stated, taking out a bottle of water from the fridge.

"This is the first time I've ever seen you drink something" Wally said randomly. Red X glared at him and threw his half-finished water bottle at his throat so Wally choked. He then continued to his journey to the garage. "Why are you all following me?" Red X asked a little bit irritated. "Well, you always disappear and we just want to get an inside of what you do" Artemis said sheepishly. Red X sighed and rolled his eyes, "I don't disappear, you just don't notice me when I'm there." The heroes looked away, knowing he was right.

They reached the garage a second later, they watched as Red X pulled out his bike and disassembled it until they were just pieces. He then took out art pencils and an A2 sheet from his gym bag. He also took out an iPhone looking machine and pressed a red button, he pressed it and threw it in the middle of the room. It transformed into a wall full of advanced tools.

Red X then took out a speaker phone and attached his Samsung Galaxy S7 and connected it. Rock music blasted through the speaker as he sat crossed legged on the floor drawing. Batman nearly cooed as Red X looked like a kid doodling. Batman went over to Red X and looked at what he was drawing. He drew a very detailed motorbike, its shape was like a talon's claw but precise. It was aerodynamic and long with a red and black paint job. Red X covered the surrounding free area with equations, he stopped and made sure that they were right before going to assemble the bike back.

The heroes watched in awe as Red X assembled the bike with speed. They got onto the engine that looked pretty complex and took a few tools to help. "What does your bike run on?" Batman asked, hoping for an answer to just see if Red X was angry or not. "Synovium" Red X answered. "How did you get pass the molecular system?" Batman questioned.

"I used quantum physics to bypass the molecular system. It's pretty easy, all you have to do is use a defibulator to contain the power, and measure how much it can take in gg's to elecute the dephyfer to figure it out." Red X stated nonchalantly. The heroes around him were confused. "I know I study science but I have no idea what you just said" Flash said.

"But to elecute the right dephyfer for the gg's doesn't it mean you have to find the right compound to keep the core flowing?" Batman asked. "No not really" Red X said. He beckoned Batman to follow him and showed him inside the bike and explained the do-hickies to him. The others were just confused and lost. They just watched as Red X and Batman talk and the music. Soon enough the two worked on the bike together still talking about engineering.

They finished the bike but weren't finished talking. They both made equations of how their vehicles worked and improved them, giving each other advice. "They really hit it off" Superman whispered. The others nodded. "Like father and son relationship" Flash said. The team winced at what he said and looked to see if Robin was upset. But he was chuffed, "At this rate I might have a brother adopted. But maybe Batman needs a little push" Robin smirked at the last part.

Before anyone could react Robin purposely hit his ankle against a large piece of metal and fell clutching it. The heroes surrounded him, worried. Batman checked his ankle carefully, Robin winced in pain. "It's not broken but you have to stay off that leg until its better." Batman stated. "NO! I can't we're supposed to go stop the bank robbery next week! You need me there." Robin whined. "I'll be fine without you. The league are coming" Batman responded. Robin looked near tears then an idea popped up. "What if you get Red X to dress up as me to go?" Robin suggested.

"No!" "Maybe" Red X and Batman looked at each other as they both answered. "No" Red X stated. "Why not? It's a good idea no?" Batman asked. "Please Red. Please, please, please" Robin pleaded. Red X sighed, "Fine but don't expect anything from me." Robin lit up then groaned to show he was still in pain. "Tt" Red X tutted before cleaning up and leaving. "I'll go get him a suit" Batman announced.

When out of sight Robin cheered. "YES! I'll have a brother in no time now!" The heroes smiled at his antics but shook their heads. "You're so crazy Robin." Superman laughed while picking him up. They all walked to the sitting room. Robin just shrugged and smiled. Batman then came in with a bag in his hand and went towards the changing room where Red X would be. He passed the bag over and waited in the sitting room with the others.

Ten minutes later Red X came out wearing a suit but not the one Batman gave him. He wore a red and black suit that had no sleeves hidden in his cape and a black 'R'. He had a black utility and black and grey gloves, the right one was a hologlove. He also had on a red lined cape with black on the outside with the hood up. He wore boots like Batman just in different colour, you should know by now what colour it is. The finishing touch was his domino mask and his dyed hair.

The team gaped at him, he looked amazing but yet dark. Batgirl looked at him up and down suggestively. "Where have you been all my life?" Batgirl asked. "Hiding from you" Red X answered. The others just stayed quiet, not wanting to get into the middle of it all. "Ok if you wanna fool villains you have to act like me" Robin said. "I know that Robin. I'm good at being undercover" Red X said in Robin's voice. This sent chills down their backs.

"Well then, there's only one more think you need to master. Smiling" Robin stated. Red X just stared at him with an unnerving stare. They shivered once more. "Have you ever seen me smile before?" Red X asked. The team frowned at this, "If you think about it, he only smirks" Megan reasoned. "Then smirk or something" Artemis said.

Red X still have that unnerving stare, never changing it. Artemis went over to him and put her fingers at the sides of his mouth and tried to pull it up. Keyword: Tried. Red X's look was glued onto his face, no matter how hard she tried to get him smile, he wouldn't. "Come on. Why don't you smile?" Artemis huffed.

"Smiling requires being happy" Red X clarified.

"Are you not happy?" Kaldur frowned.

"No" Red X answered, "There's nothing to be happy about."

"That you're given a life on Earth, that's something to be happy about" Kaldur stated. He really couldn't understand why Red X wouldn't be happy.

"Try living my life and tell me there's something for you to smile about. Unlike yours, mine isn't sunshine and rainbows." Red X glared. Kaldur put a hand on his right shoulder but as soon as he did Red X backed away. "Don't touch me" Red X stated. "What did Deathstroke do to make you so distant?" Huntress asked. Red X's eye twitched slightly before he turned around to leave.

Huntress sighed when he left, "Do you have any idea, Rose?" she asked. The heroes turned to face her. "I don't know, maybe we could ask Melissa." Rose suggested. The team nodded at the idea. Batman put a finger to his comm link, "Melissa, are you there?" he asked.

The answer came in straight away, "Here Batman. What's the problem?" she asked.

"We just need to have some questions answered, if you don't mind"

"Sure, connect me to video chat" Batman went over to the computer and did just that. Melissa's face appeared, she waved and sent them a smile.

"Ask away" "Well, why does Red X hate being touched on his right shoulder?" Kaldur asked.

Melissa ran a hand through her hair, trying to find the right words. "Let's just say that he doesn't want his arm cut off" the team cringed at her choice of words.

"Why doesn't he smile?" Megan asked.

"In the past he would smile to get through situations but one day he just couldn't. He just gave up, now even if he is happy he can't smile, even if he tries to" Melissa answered.

"And could I ask about the bandages he wraps his arms with to train? I just find it unorthodox" Batman said.

Melissa froze and looked away, "He'll tell you in his own time" they nodded, not wanting to get her upset.

"How come you're still able to smile?" Wally questioned.

"He mostly shielded me from things and reassure me that good will come from the bad one day." Melissa explained.

"What did Deathstroke do to make him so distant?" Huntress repeated.

"It wasn't just Deathstroke, it was his childhood too. The family would always argue about stuff and the only thing he could do was put his sister to sleep and listen to the arguments. Sometimes the arguments would go so heated he would leave the house and go sleep in the abandoned school nearby.

But somehow he managed to stay happy and optimistic when everything fell apart around him or if they forgot he existed. He would make up excuses for them and stick up for them even though the things people said about them were true. He was so selfless that if he was asked "What about your happiness?" he would answer "I just want my family to be happy and that's all that matters."

But time passed by and you could see that he was breaking down. One day he was waiting for his family to pick him up from the club he was in but they didn't show. He waited twenty minutes but nothing. My mom and I offered him a lift but he said he was going to walk instead. We asked him if he would be okay and he said he would be while he wiped away his tears. He smiled at us and walked away in the rain.

As he did so he noticed his family were at a festival he was passing through having the time of their life. His sister recognized him and was about to say something to their parents but he shook his head and walked away. He reached home minutes later, went to his room and he just broke down crying. The family didn't even notice when they came home, only his dad's girlfriend did but she couldn't comfort him the way he needed to be." Melissa wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Some members of the league were crying too. ' _It makes perfect sense now'_ , Batman thought _, 'Why he left the house and went to the school. Why he saved Robin from falling. Why he would always give in when Robin pleaded him to do something. Why he was yet so distant.'_

A loud crash brought him back to reality. Batman said his goodbyes and so did Melissa before he went running toward the noise with the others following. _'Red X'_ , Batman thought. He found Red X on the floor with pieces of broken glass around him.

He picked Red X up carefully and speed walked to the medbay where he lay him down. He removed Red X's helmet for comfort. Batman couldn't help but take notice at how peaceful he looked.

"Why did he pass out?" Rose asked, worried. There was nothing more she wanted to do then to hug Red X and never let go of him. She missed how brother-like he was. "He is probably just tired. I'll watch him until he wakes but right now you should all rest. It's already 11pm" Batman stated. They nodded and left except for Robin. "You need rest too. How about we bring him to the batcave" Robin suggested. Batman nodded tiredly.

He picked up Red X and walked at the same pace Robin was limping at. Once at the Batcave, Alfred greeted them. "Who do we have here, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked. "This is Red X other known as John. He passed out not long ago" Bruce yawned as his cowl was now down. "Here, let me take him" Alfred took Red X in his arms and frowned slightly. "This boy is too light, tomorrow I'll have to make him a big breakfast." Jason and Bruce smiled at Alfred's antics.

Alfred carried Red X up to the manor with Bruce and Jason following. He placed Red X down on a bed in the spare room they had. He took off his mask gently, as he did so John sat up sleepily and looked around. Alfred brought him back down smiling at how baby-like it looked, John's eyes closed slowly. It was breath-taking, like seeing the sunset.

"This boy is half Russian I suppose but I'm not sure on the other half. It's not likely to see a Caucasian skinned Russian with very light golden hazelnut eyes like this boy" Alfred said. "Does his parents know he's here?" Bruce and Jason looked away. Alfred nodded slowly, realizing what the silence meant. Alfred stroked the boy's hair lightly, taking in his appearance.

"I'm going to hit the hay" Jason yawned sensing they needed alone time, limping out of the room. "May I ask how?" Alfred asked. Bruce nodded, they sat and at the edge of the bed and spoke. Bruce told him about everything, Alfred's eyes glazed over a couple of times during the story, not only because of the sad parts, but for the ones where Batman and Red X bonded. At the end he looked at the boy sadly. John then whimpered softly in his sleep, his calm face turning into one full of pain.

Bruce went over and caressed his cheek, whispering that everything was going to be ok. John soon calmed down and continued his peaceful sleep, leaning into Bruce's hand. Bruce slightly smiled and continued to caress his cheek. Alfred went mist-eyed at that moment. "You really must like the boy" Alfred said softly. Bruce nodded, "He's really easy to bond with and doesn't mind the questions I ask him, no matter how dumb they are." Bruce fully smiled as John put his soft hand on Bruce's arm.

"Maybe Jason would like a brother" Alfred said softly. Bruce looked over at Alfred and back at John. "But what if he doesn't want to be adopted?" Bruce asked. "Give him time" Alfred smiled. Bruce nodded slowly and gently pried John's hand off him and stood up. They both left the room and shut the door behind them quietly.

"We'll have to help him out tomorrow to come downstairs" Bruce said. "And why is that sir?" Alfred asked. "Well, he's blind" Bruce said, "It's a long story." "I have time Master Bruce. I'll put the kettle on" Alfred went to the kitchen while Bruce sat down. Soon the tea was ready and they sat down. "It all started when….." Bruce started.

* * *

 **That was chapter 12 and I hoped you enjoyed it. It took me ten hours to make as I had** **many** **things to do. I hope I didn't put too much things in this chapter but I'll leave that up to you guys to decide and if it is I'll tone it down a notch.**

 **Was the fight scene good? It's my first long one I did without help.**

 **In this chapter I just wanted to show that Batman and Red X are able to connect with each other in different ways and soon forget about the problem between them as they bond with each other and that Batman cares about Red X even if he doesn't show it. Like the way he comforted him in his sleep and ran toward the noise before anyone else sensing that it was Red X. I just hoped that was the message I sent out to you all.**

 **Next chapter will be in the manor in the morning when John wakes up and can finally see because of the drops that Frost gave him. Jason wakes him up. He looks around the room and gets dressed with clothes Alfred left him and gets led downstairs while looking around. Alfred fusses over him, Jason is laughing and Bruce is fatherly to him, maybe. John isn't able to take the amount of attention and love he's being given but he doesn't say anything, finding that it would be rude.**

 **Flashbacks of his past will be in it so pay attention and solve the mystery with me and the Scooby gang! And why he wraps his arms in black bandage. Next time in 'The boy who lost it all'. This is all a maybe, just remember.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**

 **P.S.** **Watch out during the next few chapters I might have some 'Attack on titans' and 'Soul Eater' and** **villains in love with John so keep an eye out** **. …But you didn't hear this from me!….**


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13 R**

 **HELLO! I'm back and ready to go like always when it comes to this book. So I hope you've reviewing because I put most of my energy into this and get shouted at by my parents because of this. SO REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**

 **Now sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

John rubbed his eyes and shifted in the bed he was now aware he was in a very big bed. But he didn't bother opening his eyes, he still felt drowsy from yesterday's fall. He knew Frost said there were side effects but nothing like that. Before he could run his brain into overdrive he fell asleep again.

John was shot up as he felt someone staring at him. In front of him was Jason with a big smile on his face. "You're awake" Jason smiled. John then realized he could . . . see. He looked around the room, his eyes full of wonder and awe. Jason tilted his head slightly. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I can . . . see again. My sights back." John said faintly. Jason lit up and hugged him. "That's good news!" Jason cheered.

"I'll let you get dressed. Right now I have to get ready for school but at least I have a half day" Jason waved and closed the door on the way out. John got out of bed carefully and took off his training outfit. He got into the shower and rinsed himself with cold water to wake him up and by the temperature in the room it meant outside would be way hotter. He got out of the shower and dried himself off. He took a pair of black, slightly baggy (but skinny nonetheless) jeans and put them on.

He didn't like people walking into rooms seeing him without clothes so he would always put on trousers and shoes. He put on a pair of Timberlands and a white tank top. He went back into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He then noticed he was still wearing black bandage on his arms. He sat on the bed frowning. He never took them off, he only if he needed to renew them. It didn't feel right not having them.

He continued to stare at them that he didn't notice Bruce knock and walk into the room when he didn't get an answer. "Having troubles" Bruce said more than he asked. John nodded, keeping his gaze to his arms. "I could heal faster than normal if I took them off but I wouldn't want anyone to see them" John said. Bruce sat beside him and put a hand on his left shoulder cautiously, not wanting the boy to tense up. He didn't. Bruce noted that to his list about John.

Bruce let out a sigh of relief inwardly. He decided he should probably help John so gently he took John's arm and began to unwrap the bandage slowly. "It's ok" Bruce soothed. John tensed up a bit but didn't pull away. "So Jason told me you could see again. How does it feel?" Bruce asked to loosen John up. "Weird seeing everything as they actually are" John answered. Bruce finished unwrapping the left arm and moved on to the right. His left arm just had a few small scars but nothing bad.

This caused John to tense up more than he usually does. Bruce held in a gasp and a grimace as he saw the amount of injuries on John's right arm. It had a few nasty cuts on his bicep and some on his forearm that looked like they haven't fully healed but at least they started to close. There was one that went down his entire bicep as if someone was performing an incision. The only thing that Bruce wasn't able to control was the anger now coursing through his veins.

He was so angry that he accidentally squeezed John's arm. John winced slightly bringing Bruce back to reality. "Sorry" Bruce apologized. John nodded and looked away, not wanting to see his injuries any more. Bruce reached inside the drawer and pulled out blue bandage that had been coated antiseptic and wrapped John's a part a John's bicep and forearm. John then face palmed and groaned.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked. "I have to dye my hair now because I'm wearing blue" John groaned. Bruce laughed, "Fashion expert much." John rolled his eyes that kind of scared Bruce and walked into the bathroom to find some dye. "I'll see you downstairs for breakfast" Bruce said walking out of the room. John found the hair dye he was looking for and rolled his eyes.

He dyed his hair, put on his necklace of a cross around his neck, nerd glasses and a black and blue flannel top and tied it around his waist. He put on his favourite rock band bracelets on and put his phone and earphone in his back pocket and a mini bag pack where his skateboards were in. **(Where did he get that from?)**

He walked down the stairs of the manor taking in every single detail. He joined Bruce and Jason who were already sitting down and eating. He sat down beside Jason and continued to look around him. "You dyed your hair blue?" Jason asked confused. "It's Bruce's fault" John stated. Jason laughed and just then Alfred walked in with a _lot_ of fruit and Russian almonds on a plate. He put it in front of John and bowed.

"I see you're awake Master John. I had a feeling that you were more of a fruit eating person. So please enjoy" Alfred said. John nodded his thanks and ate some fruit on his plate. After five minutes Alfred noticed he barely touched anything. "Is something wrong with the food sir?" Alfred frowned. "No, I'm just not used to eating this often" John said. "What do you mean by 'often'?" Bruce asked. "I only eat once a month" John stated.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at John. Alfred looked like he was to faint, Jason looked like the world just ended and Bruce he was about to die. "Why?" Jason asked. "I don't need that much food. I just eat food the give off energy and natural sugars but not sugar. I don't even remember the last time I had sugar. I'm pretty sure I was six or eight" John said nonchalantly, popping a melon ball into his mouth.

"I'm going to send you meals every week from now on" Alfred said with a determined look on his face. "Do you not get hungry?" Bruce asked. John shook his head. Jason now looked near tears now as John popped the last piece of fruit into his mouth. "Thanks for breakfast but I have to go" John stood up and bowed. Alfred ran into the kitchen and came back with some almonds and handed them to John.

John nodded and walked out the front door quickly. He jogged and threw down his skateboard and hopped on. He skated to the park where he sat on a bench in the shade. He took out his phone and called Melissa.

"John, Hi!" John smirked slightly at her voice.

"Hey M. How's home?" John asked.

"Well, it's great being home but it would be better if you were here" Melissa answered with a tinge of sadness slipping into her voice.

John frowned, he didn't like seeing or hearing Melissa upset. He never really liked seeing anyone else upset for that matter. Guess it's just a trait in him. He would always change subject or give them good news and since he had some…

"Melissa, I have good news"

"What is it?" Melissa asked.

"I can see again" John said.

"OH MY GOD! That's great news! I can't believe it" Melissa cheered.

John's eyes sparkled with joy as he made her happy. "I can't either. It's just so weird seeing again. No doubt I love the view but it feels all so new to me" John responded.

"It'll pass but right now enjoy the view" Melissa said.

And soon enough they were having a long conversation like they used to do when they were kids. They never got times like this anymore and that's what made this one precious. It felt like hours but they didn't mind. But just then John got another call, he excused himself and put her on hold so he could answer the incoming call.

"Hello" John said.

"John, its Bruce. I was wondering if you could collect Jason from school. I'm busy at the office and Alfred has to go to the hospital because his niece is ill."

"Sure, I'll get going right now" John stated.

"Thanks John. Bye for now" Bruce cut the phone and John got back to Melissa.

"Sorry Mel, I have to go collect Jason from school" John said.

"It's fine. I'll talk to you later. Bye"

"Bye" John cut the phone and took his skateboard and headed toward the school, listening to music. Once there, he leaned against the school wall and popped a red sugar free lolly in his mouth as he waited. Students filed out of the school and some of them (the girls) noticed him and started talking in hushed voices about him. John rolled his eyes, as if he couldn't hear them. Soon after Jason came out of the building with Barbra and Bette and Artemis.

When he saw John he ran towards him and smiled. "Hey! Dad told me you'd be collecting me" Jason grinned while wiping a sweat from his forehead. John reached into his bag, not even bothered to take the bag down from his back, and took out a water bottle and gave it to Jason. "Thanks John"

That was when the girls caught up with Jason. "You shouldn't run off like that, a-" Bette's voice faded away as she noticed John. "Hi, I'm Bette" She blushed. "John Strike" He said in his usual husky voice. "And you know Artemis and this is Barbra" Jason introduced. John nodded his head but did nothing more. Just then he got a text, he read it and put it away.

"Jason your club is starting in fifteen minutes" John stated. Jason got the message along with Artemis. "Oh yeah, sorry guys have to go" Jason said. He, Artemis and John started walking away. John played his rock music out loud not bothering that people were staring at him. They walked in silence toward the mountain but before they did Artemis and Robin got changed in a near alleyway.

When they came out in civvies they noticed John looked different too. "When did you change?" Artemis asked. John shrugged and continued walking with the two catching up. Once at the mountain they zeta'd in.

 **Recognized: Robin B02**

 **Recognized: Artemis B05**

 **Recognized: …**

The heroes inside frowned. Why didn't it say a name? The three walked towards them. Artemis and Robin conversed with the team but Red X just leaned against the wall and stared into space. Black Canary and Batman just walked in then. "Team for training we'll be talking about languages. So come on" Black Canary and Batman led them to the sitting room where everyone sat on the couch except Red X. He sat on a stool beside the kitchen table.

"Ok I want to know how many languages you can speak and then whoever knows the most can teach the class" Black Canary clapped her hands together. "Artemis, how about you go first." Artemis nodded, "I know Vietnamese, French…" Artemis' voice faded away until Red X couldn't hear anything but the problem was that her mouth was still moving. He couldn't hear anything at all, only his unordinary heartbeat.

His vision was getting blurry too. He tried and tried to refocus them but to no avail. "Renegade, we meet again. Did you really think you could get away from me?" A voice rang in his head. He recognized that voice, it was . . . it was Jericho. He started to feel drowsy, he used his arm to support him against the table. "We'll soon meet face to face. But for now I just want to have a little bit of fun. R19 activate" Jericho said.

Red X struggled to take control as he felt his conscious being pushed away. He was suddenly locked in place, his body was on lock down. His head bowed as if he was defeated but on the inside he was battling for control. An energy surge went through him, trying to weaken him but it was nothing new to him.

"Red X your turn" Black Canary stated. They all turned to look at Red X but his head was down and he wasn't answering them. Batman frowned, this wasn't like Red X at all. "Red X" Batman called. But still no answer. Something didn't feel right now. Batman walked over to Red X cautiously, "Red X" He called again. Batman could see his hands twitching but nothing more. Batman lifted Red X's head up and took off his glasses.

Batman jerked away in shock but soon composed himself and approached him. The team came up behind him but didn't move close just in case. Batman lifted his head once more. Red X's eyes were changing to red and white like flickering lights. "Must . . . terminate league. Must . . . obey master." Red X said but not in his own voice. This one sounded demonic but yet robotic at the same time. Red X suddenly grabbed Batman's wrist and squeezed it with inhuman strength.

"Help . . . me" Red X pleaded in a raspy voice before clutching his head and sinking to his knees. Batman knew he needed to act quickly. "Black Canary get a bed set up. Aqualad call down league members that do incantations and magic and have a lot of strength. Now!" They all ran. Batman picked up Red X even though Red X tried to get away from him. Batman clutched onto him with a strong force.

"Must kill . . . must . . . not" Red X was trying to fight back with everything he had. "Kill Batman . . . kill everybody in league . . . h-help me!" Red X was now thrashing in Batman's arms. "It's ok Red X. I'm going to help you even if it gets me killed during the process" Batman promised. Batman finally reached the medbay and forced him down on the bed, the leaguers then came in and helped. But Red X was stronger than he actually was. He managed to toss Hawkgirl away and kick off Black Canary like they were nothing.

Zatara was chanting spells but none of them were working. "Batman, it's like his mind is a living virus. There's nothing I can help you with here" Zatara said. Batman looked back at Red X who now was going beyond crazy. He thrashed more and more at every second. His eyes weren't changing colour anymore, they stayed red. Suddenly Red X took out a knife and threw it at Wonder Woman.

She dived out of the way to avoid it. As they were distracted Red X started attacking the league, not even giving the protégés a thought. They joined in too but it didn't make anything easier. Ravager looked like she was trying to remember something crucial. She racked her brain for the answer again and again. Until she remembered.

" _Rose, if I ever go crazy just say R19 deactivate. I know you're probably wondering what it means but one you'll need to remember it." Ren stated._

"R19 Deactivate!" Ravager screamed. Red X started to slow down until he fell. Batman caught him and put him back on the bed where he hooked him up to machines. His heartbeats were irregular but at least he was still alive. "What's the code you said for?" Batman asked when things calmed down. "I don't know, he just told me one day I'd need to remember it" Ravager shrugged.

Batman nodded and looked down at Red X. Right now he looked so vulnerable, so peaceful, and so . . . normal. Batman didn't really like that, he liked Red X for the way he was and not for what the world made out him to be. "I'll take some scans and try to find the problem" Batman stated. The heroes took it as a sign to leave. Once they were gone Batman sat beside Red X and stroked his hair.

Batman used his other hand to Red X left hand in his. "I'm going to help you and protect you from now on. I promise" Batman promised. In response or what seemed as one, Red X squeezed Batman's hand weakly.

* * *

 **That was chapter 13, I hoped you enjoyed it. Again I tried to show that Batman and Red X are getting close and that Batman thinks of Red X as a son. Leave a comment if you liked it or pm me if you have any questions whatsoever.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14 R**

 **I'm back and up running. I wrote this chapter during May so excuse me if I haven't put in any ideas or anything such as that.**

 **In the last chapter if you didn't understand, Ren had a chip implanted in his brain called R19. So if he went rogue the chip would be activated so he could fulfill his mission to destroy the league but as you read in the last chapter he fought it so he could stay in control. His body might have been on lock down but his brain wasn't. In the end of the Battle he won but he'll be comatose for a while.**

 **I hope that answers all you're answers, but for the one about Jericho I'll explain later on in the story line.**

 **So sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Day 1**

"Hey Red. It's a relief to see that you're ok, but it's getting a bit dull without you around" Robin informed John.

John was on the hospital bed, a breathing mask over his mouth and his eyes closed. After he stopped struggling the day before, he wouldn't wake up. Even when he was given adrenaline to wake him up. They did some tests and worked out he was now a comatose hero. They had to feed him through a tube four times a day until he can awaken.

"Batman's gone colder than usual, he blames himself for your state. Aquaman comes in here and says a prayer for you whenever he can. Artemis and Huntress read you books they think you'd be interested in. The others come in here a few times to _pay their respects_. I got really angry at them when they said that, they were acting as if you were in your deathbed." Robin ran a hand through his hair.

He laid his hand on John's. "Keep fighting just please stay. I can't lose anyone else important to me" Robin whispered.

 **Day 2**

"Hello my friend, I know it has been long since I have last came to visit but I have been in Atlantis. I see that you are making progress, you look very healthy and your skin is not as pale." Kaldur greeted.

This was odd for him to do. He was never taught how to have conversations with a comatose patient. He didn't know what to do or what to say. How could he be of much comfort if he did not possess the right words of comfort? Did they have to be comforting?

"I . . . I do hope you awaken soon. I am having troubles in leading the team. I am not sure what to do with missions that are not in my elements. I need assistance and you seem like you would be a wise colleague to confine in. I can't seem to think straight anymore after I found out that the one I loved was dating my best friend, I lost all train of thought. Maybe when you are awake you can help me and if you can hear me." Kaldur sighed.

Kaldur stood up and walked to the door. "Wake up soon my friend. You are missed" he said as he left.

 **Day 3**

"Hey, I brought a new book with me. It's called Fierce Vanity. I think you'll like this one" Huntress sat down on the chair beside John's bed.

She took a deep breath before beginning.

" **Part one prologue.** _'If you can't be good, be clever.'_ Those were my mother's words to me as she toasted my eighteenth birthday. She informed me that this piece of wisdom had become something of a family motto over the years, passed down from generation to generation, from mother to daughter.

My mother's explanation of this tradition filled me with alarm. I am her son not her daughter. My immediate reaction was to interpret her toast as a slur upon my masculinity that she had somehow perceived a deficiency in me, when I had believed myself to be presenting her and to the world a demeanor that was inscrutably, exemplarily macho.

Why were Nana's words of caution being repeated to me? Was my mother trying to subtly prod a confession out of me? Was that why she ordered French champagne? Not because I was of an age to appreciate a sophisticated bubbly, but in order to loosen my restraint and my tongue? Or was I merely being paranoid? I was, after all, my parents' only child. My mother had no-one else to continue this tradition with….."

 **Day 4**

Batman had to go on the mission with the league and Robin but he was really looking forward to working with John. This always happened to him, it was as if he had bad luck.

 **Day 5**

Batman sat beside John but didn't say anything at first. He let the silence of the room be a comforter for both of them.

"Hello John, I apologize that I haven't come to visit until now but I was busy at Gotham this week. I wanted to see you since you were in your state but I guess I just kept myself busy so I didn't have to face the facts that I failed you." Batman sighed.

He gently took John's hand in his.

"But I promise that I'll protect you from now on. If you have a problem or something that's bothering you just say and we'll get passed it together." Batman could have sworn that John slightly squeezed his hand in response.

 **Day 6**

Robin left John a fresh bunch of roses meaning peace, serenity and friendship.

 **Day 7**

Huntress came in with Artemis and they talked about maths, news and read to him.

 **Week 1**

The league came in and said a prayer for John with Aquaman.

 **Week 1 Day 2**

Wolf curled up next to John and howled in sadness. He and John became friends when they were alone once. John would give him the best dog food he ever tasted, they even had conversations with each other. John would usually start the conversation then Wolf would make faces and bark and John would understand. He even shared his book with him, they would read the pages together at the same pace and turn the page. They had a great friendship going and he wanted to keep it that way.

 **Week 1 Day 3….**

Robin reported that John's eye were fluttering. He was just talking to him when he saw it. That was a good sign, it meant John would be awake in no time.

 **Week 1 Day 4…..**

John was moaning in his state while his eyebrows scrunched together. Huntress reported this straight away to Batman. Batman decided that tomorrow he would go visit.

 **Week 1 Day 5….**

Batman stayed with John until he was called to a meeting by Superman. "Goodnight" Batman said. "Night, B" He heard being whispered from behind him. Batman smiled and closed the door behind him.

 **Week 1 Day 6…..**

John eyes fluttered open and looked around the room before they closed again.

 **Week 1 Day 7….**

John sat up slowly as he felt someone beside him. It was Wolf. Wolf licked his face and John scratched his tummy. "Hey boy" He croaked. He then had a coughing fit, he made a grab for the water bottle beside his bed and gulped it down. He let his body drop back down onto the bed as he was exhausted. Wolf laid down beside him as John put his head on Wolf's fur. They soon fell asleep.

Later on the mentors and their protégés walked in to see this cute sight and the empty water bottle. They smiled and sat around him and talked.

 **Week 2**

Wolf furiously nudged John with all his might. John's eyes slowly opened, he looked down at Wolf. "Wolf, what's wrong?" John asked weakly. Wolf ran towards the door and motioned John to follow. John sat up slowly and put on his clothes that were in the drawer beside him. He stood up slowly, using his arms to steady him, he winced as he felt a nerve shoot through his body.

He looked down at his arms and saw cuts and fresh blood covering his arms, they were even worse than before. He rummaged the drawers for black bandage. As soon as he found them he wrapped his arms in them and in the process getting blood on his hands. He stood up and followed Wolf to wherever he was taking him.

Wolf stopped in the mission room where on screen showed the mentors and their protégés were trapped in a dome with a timer above their heads. John walked towards the holocomputer and searched for their signal. They were in the ancient jail of Bludhaven. John turned around and fell to his knees and clutched his stomach as he felt air slash across it but stayed calm.

There was blood oozing from it. _'It seems that R19 still has an affect on me'_ John thought. He tried to stand but his vision went blurry. Wolf hurried over to him and licked his face to show he wanted to help. John put his arm on Wolf and stroked his fur, a few smears of blood stained it. "Wolf, go get my black sachet from the medbay" John ordered.

Wolf ran off and John laid down on his side, panting as blood pumped out of his body. A minute later Wolf came back and noticed the blood pool. He whimpered and licked John's face. John stroked his fur and took the sachet. John leaned against Wolf for support, He took out a ball from the bag and threw it. A puff of smoke devoured the room.

Standing in front of him was his back up. It was his Redsign suit he created if he ever came into a difficult situations. The suit was worn by his duplicate, it was black with white lining. The suit stopped at his eyes where the mask was attached to the suit. And his hair was a black colour and tied up. "Go to the old jail of Bludhaven and save them. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Now go" John coughed.

Redsign nodded and turned into his offence blue suit and sped off. John got Wolf to help him in to the bathroom. He filled the bath with water and poured sea salt in it. He carefully got in the bath without even taking off his clothes or shoes. He sighed as the salt attacked the fresh wounds on his body but at the same time it felt good. It wasn't actually painful at all, he felt worse. John closed his eyes and laid his head back and kept one arm out of the bath.

Wolf would lick his hand every now and then to see if he was still alive. Each time John would scratch behind Wolf's ear when he was licked. John opened his eyes to see that the water turned bloody. He got out of the bath and barely dried himself off. He and Wolf walked back to the medbay but then John fell as a shockwave travel through his body. John dropped the towel and crawled onto Wolf who had readied himself to carry him.

Once they got there, John laid back down on the bed and Wolf joined him. He hooked himself back to the lifeline and stroked Wolf's fur. His eyes were going glassy and he started shivering. His eyelids would drupe every now and then but Wolf licked him to keep him awake. Wolf whimpered as he knew what was to come. They sat there and repeated the same process again and again.

But as soon as he heard the heroes' zeta in, he closed his eyes and the lifeline went flat. Wolf nudged him and continued to do that.

 ***BREAKLINE***

Batman and the others zeta'd in. They were saved by Redsign, he disappeared after they reached the mountain. The young ones were cheering but that soon stopped when they saw a pool of blood on the floor. Batman followed the bloodstains without thinking and so did the others. It led to the bathroom where the bath was filled with bloody water. The trail continued but didn't need to be followed.

As soon as Batman heard Wolf sad howl, he knew who it was that left all the blood. Batman sprinted to the medbay. On the bed were Wolf and John, he wasn't breathing. Batman took out jump starters (Whatever you call them things) and put it on John's chest again and again. The others caught up and they froze at the sight. Batman continued but it didn't work. Batman took out some adrenaline and injected it into John's heart and performed CPR.

"Batman, it's too late" Black Canary whispered. Batman shook his head, refusing to let death take away this young boy in his life. Robin went over to John and held his hand tight as he said a prayer. Aquaman joined him too.

After what seemed like hours John suddenly took a huge gulp of air and squeezed Robin's hand back. He was now breathing but he wasn't fully awake. Just then Redsign walked in and turned back into a ball and into John's hand where he put it in his pocket. It made so much sense to them why he disappeared.

"John you're alive. Thank God." Robin sighed in relief. John looked at him in confusion as if he didn't know what happened at all. But nonetheless he nodded and leaned his head against Wolf. "How did you manage to get blood everywhere?" Batman asked.

"I was woken up by Wolf . . . he led me to the mission room . . . I sent Redsign to save you . . . while I was walking around I started bleeding. So I filled the bath up with water and sea salt to close the wounds. I got out as the water got bloody, I tried to walk back to the medbay but I felt a jolt run through me, Wolf carried me back here and kept me awake for as long as he could." John said weakly.

"You risked your life and risked being in pain to save us?" Huntress asked as her eyes welled up. "Well you all did keep me company while I was in a coma. It was the least I could do" John coughed. Robin gave him some water to drink then put it away as soon as he finished. Huntress cried and hugged John gently.

"You're too much. How could you be so nice like that?" Huntress sobbed. But when Huntress didn't get an answer, she looked down at John to see he had his head laid on chest, inhaling and exhaling soft breaths with his eyes closed. They all awed at the sight and smiled softly. Huntress stroked his hair gently and took in how peaceful he was. "He tuckered himself out" Huntress whispered with a smile.

"We should let him rest" Batman suggested. Huntress laid him down on the bed and tucked him in. Wolf gave John a peck on the cheek with his nose before leaving with everyone else. Batman was the only one who stayed, he pulled down his cowl and caressed John's cheek and smiled. John opened his eyes slightly and looked up at Bruce. His eyes showing the confusion he felt. "It's ok, go back to sleep" Bruce whispered. John nodded and closed his eyes.

Bruce put his cowl back on and walked to the door. "Night John" He said. But the next line that came out of John's mouth made his heart burst and made his day brighter. It cut through his darkness and filled it with light.

"Night dad."

* * *

 **That was chapter 14. I hope you liked it!**

 **I wanted to end this chapter with that line because Bruce has some traits that Dick's dad showed. So it was a slip of the tongue since he was half asleep but it made Bruce happy. Dick misses his family too and when he died for that period of time he was with his family but not Mark, he doesn't like him. He's so happy he gets to see them again but they tell him to go back. That he's needed. The dad smiles and caressed his cheek like Bruce did and has the kind of eyes he does but brighter. So as you can see it would be necessary to call Bruce 'Dad' and plus it's cute.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 16 R**

 **Hey guys!**

 **New chapter here for you all. I own nothing but the plot and a few other things. And I want to say thank you to grayson4life for the perfect reviews she/he (I'm pretty sure it's a she but correct me if I'm wrong) left on each chapter so far. Thank you so much! I wrote this chapter today just for you grayson4life and I'll continue to post as daily as I can for you for the next about five chapters! I hope you enjoy it!**

 **So sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

John woke up and rubbed his eyes before closing them again. It was too bright. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. He stood up and reached out for a crutch to balance him. He hobbled out of the room and made his way to the sitting room.

When he reached the sitting room Wolf was already there. Wolf jumped around him but was careful not to knock him over. John slowly lowered himself onto the couch and patted his lap. Wolf reacted immediately and jumped on the couch and laid his head on his lap. John turned on the TV and stroked Wolf's fur. Wolf's tail wagged as John scratched his belly.

They sat there watching Big Bang Theory when they heard people panicking. Wolf and John frowned at each other then shrugged. "Oh my God, you're here! We were worried" Flash exclaimed as he ran into the sitting room. John raised his eyebrow at him as the others came rushing in. John shrugged and continued to watch the show.

"Well, since we're here, how about breakfast" Megan suggested. The heroes nodded. "Would you like anything, John?" Megan asked. "Just fruit please" John said politely. Megan smiled and nodded. Robin and Conner joined John on the couch. After Megan finished making breakfast for the others she gave John a fruit cup with a fork. John nodded his thanks and took it from her gently. Megan smiled as he ate a piece of watermelon.

The others joined them around the couch and watched too. John would eat a grape or pretend he was eating every time he saw a worried glance directed at him. When he was finished eating he could see them giving him _secretive_ smiles they thought he wouldn't see or notice. He grabbed his crutch and slowly got up. Robin helped him stay in balance by holding his arm.

John nodded and limped away. He got to his room and changed into civvies to go outside. He needed some fresh air and get away from the team before they could get too _helpful_.He wore a black hoodie, dark grey jeans and black high-tops. He changed from his crutch to his cane he used to carry around when he was blind. Right now his eyesight wasn't up to match.

He walked towards the back of the mountain but he was stopped. "Hey, you shouldn't go outside by yourself" Artemis stated. "I'm not blind, I know where I'm going" John responded. "Yes but what if a villain comes out and attacks you? How will you protect yourself in your state?" Batman pointed out.

"How will I ever be able to protect myself when I'm forced to stay in this cramped space with people who want to do everything for me?" John countered. They said nothing, John won this argument. He walked out of the Mountain and towards the park. Once he got there he took a deep breath in and out. He leaned against the railings and looked as the Ducks swam around.

John sighed as he remembered how he and Melissa would go to the park to watch the ducks. They would go during sunset because that was when the scenery looked best and there was no one around. It was like their first date. John and Melissa went to see a movie and ate and then he brought her up to the elementary school. She was amazed by the sight, they had their quiet time. John let her in for the first time ever, he felt relieved that he got it off his chest. He then took a guitar from the corner of the room and did a sing along with her as they walked around the school and led her to the large lake.

He took her hand and led her to the pier, there they danced around as John sung to her. At the end of the song they looked into each other's eyes and filled the gap between them. It was a moment he would forever cherish, the kiss ignited the flames between them and he still felt it every time they kissed. But now, she's miles and miles away from him. How long will it be before he can kiss those lips of hers again?

John hobbled over to a bench and sat down. He needed to catch his breath, it's been over a week that he was in a coma and his legs just weren't that used to being worked anymore. "Hello dearie" He heard. John looked up to see an old lady sit down beside him, "You seem upset" she said. "Well, kinda. I was in a coma for a week and a few days. I woke up today and I'm already been put on prison lock" John stated.

"It's probably because they love you. Family tend to do that" The old woman responded. "They're not my family. Mine died a long time ago" John sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that and I know how it is to have a family gone. The others are just trying to be there for you, I know you probably don't want them to replace your family. But they're not, they just want you to feel loved. I see that you're an introvert person but just remember everyone needs a family, even you" The old woman explained.

John nodded absently, thinking about the words she said. She smiled at John, "I have to go now. I hope to meet up with you again. Bye" "Bye" John answered before leaving in the opposite direction. He then scowled, _'Idiots, I'm not stupid'_ he thought harshly. He walked back to the mountain taking his time. Once he got there, he zeta'd in.

 **Recognized: …**

John walked through the empty mountain to his room and changed to Red X. He walked out of his room without his walking stick and locked his room with an impossible code no one would know. He refused to use the cane while he was in his persona, it was degrading to him. He wasn't weak. Wolf then came out of nowhere and pounced around him. Red X scratched behind his ear. "How are you, Wolf?" He asked.

Wolf ran to god knows where and returned with something in his mouth. "What's that, boy?" Red X asked while taking it from Wolf. "Chess, good choice, Wolf. Let the best win" Red X set up the game and didn't bother to ask or wonder why Wolf would be able to play chess. Once they were set up the game begun. Red X was the blacks and Wolf was the whites.

The team and their mentors came right in the middle of their game. Red X managed to capture 9 chess pieces of Wolf's while he managed to capture none. "How was your time outside?" Megan asked. "Not good" Red X answered as he moved his Bishop. "Why not?" Manhunter asked. "Because for some reason, the team followed me and thought I was stupid enough not to notice" Red X stated as Wolf moved his Knight advanced on his Queen.

"How did you know?" Black Canary frowned. "Why do Falcons always fly with their claws facing the ground?" Red X asked. Black Canary tilted her head at Red X but couldn't understand the question. "To catch their prey" Batman answered as he remembered it from the video. "Why do Falcons always fly with their claws facing the ground?" Red X repeated. Batman frowned but attempted, "To catch _the_ prey" He rephrased.

"And why do they catch the prey?" He pressed on. Batman frowned. "To feast" Artemis attempted. Red X shook his head. "Because it's the life cycle" Superboy answered. Red X once again shook his head. Batman and Robin looked at each other and everything just clicked. ". . . To catch the prey before the prey catches them and becomes the predator" Batman and Robin stated. "Checkmate" Red X responded but they didn't know who he was responding to. It was either them or Wolf. "You did well, Wolf. But you made the mistake of letting me determine where you went. You payed attention to one of the pieces instead of all of the pieces." Red X said.

Red X moved his Bishop and captured the King. "Falcons always fly with their claws facing the ground to catch the prey before the prey catches them and becomes the predator." Red X quoted. "If an enemy is after you, you can fight back instead of backing down." Batman translated. "Exactly" Red X nodded. There was silence after that, the only noise you could hear was Red X knocking over to the King.

"How did you manage to win without losing any pieces?" Conner asked. "Strategy and manipulation" He answered. Before anyone could ask a question Red X explained while taking off his helmet. "Chess pieces are like humans. There's a person who's the mastermind behind it all but the others don't know it. The humans can be manipulated by the player without knowing it and follow the plan accordingly. Some can get lost during the way but led back to the right path. As you use them, you manage to corner the King and checkmate. The King had no idea it was all a plan and thought and failed to take notice. Then the game's won. The player's victorious, but, who's to share the victory with them if they don't know they were pawns in a game of chess? . . . Like the one being played as we speak" Red X stated as he twirled the King on the tip of his finger.

"The one being played now? Who's playing it? And why?" Batman questioned. Red X couldn't help but grin maliciously as he looked down at the chess board. "Tell you and ruin the game before it started?" Red X tsked playfully. The mentors backed away slightly, they never seen Red X act like this before. Maybe his coma messed his brain a little. "Why is this game being played?" Batman asked. "It's a life or death game, well that's what people call it because of the black and white. The player can be dragged in at any time and are forced to play." Red X stated as his grin disappeared in an instant, dancing around the question.

"But why? You never gave me a direct answer." Batman responded. "Don't worry about that, just let the player do all the work and everything will make sense later on" Red X stood up and melded into the shadows in the corner of the room, cackling coldly like it was all a joke. They stared at where he last was and couldn't hold back the shiver that went down their spine.

* * *

 **That was chapter 15 and I hope you enjoyed it. If you did leave a comment or pm me ideas.**

 **If you didn't understand why Red X stated 'Falcons always fly with their claws facing the ground to catch the prey** **before the prey catches them and becomes the predator' is because it's not only something mobs in Russia but it has something to do with Dick's past as well. I'll reveal how it relates to Dick in the story later on. Just stay tuned if you wanna know.**

 **The thing about chess with Wolf was to show that Dick is always on top of his game. He can manipulate anyone without them knowing it. Either through weakness, anger, strength or if they're a villain. He just has a way of wrapping everyone around his finger like Frost said in chapter 11.**

 **The reason why he acted a bit crazy near the end was because if he doesn't meditate, he tends to lose grip of his sanity. That's why he was upset that Batman interrupted his meditation in chapter 5. And when he strangled Flash in chapter 6. Why does he act like that? I hear you ask, well you have to wait to find out.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16 R**

 **Hey guys! This is Blue reporting for duty to give you the next chapter. Sorry if it took me long but I'm busy catching up on sleep and eating like a bum that I am. So please forgive me for my laziness.**

 **P.S. grayson4life for some reason when it comes to names I have a sixth sense that tells me whether their a girl or boy. Weird right?**

 **Anyways I own nothing people and it hurts. If I did own the show, Nightwing would be more badass than he'd already be and would have more screen time and would notice he's too good with the team and Batgirl. Wally would be alive but would feel ashamed of himself for hating on Nightwing.**

 **So sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

John worked harder than anyone on the team that week. When they were doing jogging, he was doing laps around the whole of Happy Harbour with Wolf by his side. If the team were doing stretches he was lifting weights. They team tried to get him to take a break but he refused. They never stopped trying. They would always go up to him to try and make him see common sense.

Like now.

"You need to stop. It's ok to be helpless at times" Kaldur said softly. John looked at Kaldur as if he lost every shred of sanity he had. "Don't disgust me" John said seriously. Kaldur sighed at looked at his friends for help. "Dude, you can relax around us. We're all friends –" Wally was interrupted by the sound of John breaking the large weight in two. John pointed the sharp end directly at Wally's eye. "Don't call me your friend" John warned him before moving on to the rowing machine.

The team frowned. What made him so angry over being friends? "John, there's no need to push yourself over the limit. Right now you need to rest, you just woke up from a coma not long ago and nearly completely died a few minutes later. For once just listen and rest" Robin said angrily at John. Robin was worried sick for John and here he was acting as if nothing happened a few days ago.

John didn't listen to him at all, just kept rowing at a very fast pace. The team trudged out of the gym. "What are we going to do with him?" Megan sighed. "The only thing we can do, call Batman" Artemis stated. "If that's the only way for him to take a break and let his body heal then yes" Conner responded with the team nodding.

Robin ran to the holocomputer and contacted Batman. "Batman, we have a problem. John won't stop pushing himself when he should be resting" Rose explained. Batman nodded, "We'll be right there. Batman out" And with that he was gone but it wasn't long before Batman zeta'd in along with Green Lantern, Manhunter, Wonder Woman, Black Canary and Superman.

"Where is he?" Batman asked. "The gym" Kaldur answered. The league members along with the team walked to the gym to John was now doing pull ups. Green Lantern held out his fist and trapped John in a bubble. John looked over to the entrance and glared at them for all their worth. He just found out their plan. "John, you need to rest. If you promise to rest we'll let you out of the bubble" Superman promised. "No" John glared daggers at Superman causing him to look away.

"Joh-" "No" John interrupted Batman. The league pounced on John as soon as Green Lantern got the signal from Batman to get rid of the bubble. John struggled against the league members, apparently he was stronger than he looked. This caused them to put more pressure down on John, no matter how much it could hurt him. Batman took out a grey band and clamped it on John's right arm on the bicep. "I didn't want it to come to this but now if you try or think of exercising or leaving this mountain the band will shock you. It'll cause you greater pain if you try to resist it" Batman stated.

John growled as he looked down at the band on his arm. "It's for your own good, John." Batman said as John got up. John just started to walk away stiffly. Superman stood in front of him and tried to make him see that everything was for his own good but John elbowed him on the nose causing blood to gush out. The heroes surrounded him and turned to look back at John but he was long gone.

Batman took out a wad of tissue and gave it to Superman who took it gratefully. "We should give him time, yes?" Wonder Woman asked. They all nodded. He needed a lot of time.

 ***BREAKLINE***

Soon enough it was the next day and he still didn't come out of his room. Megan tried to get him to come out for breakfast but he refused to answer her. At breakfast there was a silent atmosphere. Robin and John were usually the conversation starters even when he just stayed quiet. But now, it wasn't the same, they felt guilt bore into their souls for what they did to John. He wouldn't have done something like that to them.

Their mentors came an hour later asking about John. They answered that he wouldn't come out of his room at all. The mentors tried to talk John out of his room but with no luck. He really must hate them right now. They all sat down in the sitting room thinking of ways to get John to come out when he did. He had on a black hoodie with the hood hiding his face. He reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water then walked back to his room.

They couldn't bring themselves to say anything to him. He needed to forgive them in his own time, not theirs. It wasn't right but it was their only choice.

* * *

 **That's the end of chapter 16 but I will write more in chapter seventeen so keep an eye out for it. I'm just really tired now and sick so if you find any spelling mistake please tell me in the comments or pm me.**

 **The reason John doesn't like being weak is because all his life he was just pushed around and he didn't like that. The day his family died in the fire he was really tired of being weak because he feels like he could have prevented it somehow. Slade made him hard but not completely, but almost fully. Melissa helped him out as much as she could with this topic. He still hates it though. Even if he's still able to sympathize for people he doesn't show emotion as if he means it or not.**

 **The heroes are worried about him because they feel sorry that he had no family and what happened to him when he lost his sight. John doesn't like that, he'd prefer if they saw him as an equal to how they were.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17 R**

 **Hey guys time for the chapter to be presented to you. Sorry that the last chapter was only two pages long but you know I was actually studying on that night and I was exhausted beyond compare. I really needed to catch up on sleep that I missed. This chapter will be longer than the last I promise. I never break a promise . . . only if you piss me off I will break it and give you the silent treatment and throw you dirty looks and act like you don't exist.**

 **But I'm usually a very nice, witty and a bit crazy person. EMBRACE THE WEIRDNESS! I'm actually an ok person to talk to, I'll listen to watch you have to say.**

 **Anyways check out I'mlostsometimes profile as she's new to and give her a warm welcome by** **READING &REVIEWING** **her stories. They're pretty good.**

 **I own nothing.**

 **So sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Johns POV**

I noticed I was humming the same song I had the day after Uncle Rick and Sparrow were murdered mercilessly. I always seemed to do that when I was trapped or distressed. My mom would always call me a Robin, a bird that loved to fly. I loved flying with my parents but then they fell. I tried to reach for mom but we missed, our fingers brushed against each other lightly. Then they fell rapidly, trying to grab onto something but there was nothing.

Crack. Their bodies hit the floor with a sickening noise that echoed around the tent. I couldn't feel anything as I climbed down the ladder and knelled down beside them. It was only later on that the pain attacked me. The pain felt like it was going to tear me apart. After the ' _incident_ ' as people called it I moved to Russia with the rest of my remaining family. I never went back to that circus. I said goodbye to everyone I needed to, especially Bruce.

He paid for the funeral in Gotham and understood where I was coming from. I was grateful for that but it didn't ease the pain any less. I didn't talk for a while after that. I soon started school and made friends with Melissa and Eddie, they were very friendly people. After some time I began to smile again, the pain eased but would always come back on the anniversary. I liked having them as friends but then bad things happened then it led to me being captured.

I continued to hum and count the days. Four days and counting. I knew my hair dye was fading but I ran out of it. I would've write an incantation but my arms were covered in scars. My hair was going back to its original color. I stood up and walked to the bathroom in search for dye. I opened the cabinet to see I only had cherry red and snow-white hair dye. I knew no one would take me serious in red so white it is.

I had a bit of difficulty because my hair grew. I dried my damp hair with a towel. I then took pieces of long black string and wrapped the _long_ locks of hair from the side of my hair. When I was finished he looked at myself in the mirror and observed. I looked like I belonged to a tribe, my hair spiked forward and my eyes were almost cat-like. "With the right outfit I can make this band look like just an arm band." I said to himself as I walked over to my wardrobe.

I settled on a long black hoodie, dark grey jeans and black huaraches. I didn't bother removing my bandages, it wasn't like I was going anywhere special or out of this mountain. I already renewed it yesterday, it took me a while because of the band but I managed. I renewed them but coated them with an herbal healing formula I learned a while ago. I really needed them to heal pronto.

I sat back down on my bed and stared into space. I hated being trapped without my freedom I fought so hard to regain. I played a very dangerous game against Slade for it. In the end it didn't turn out how I wanted to it be but it did regain my freedom along with the others. It beat me down to the ground but I forced myself to get back up because that's what it's all about. It isn't about how hard life beats you down, it's about how many times you get back up and continue on. Life hasn't finished beating me down but I haven't stop getting back up.

I heard scraping at the door and instantly knew who it was. The dog I'd been ignoring for days, Wolf. I walked over to the door and opened it. Wolf jumped on me causing me to fall down. He licked my face happily. I squirmed against him but soon gave up and let him. After he was finished he put his wet nose on mine as if to give me a kiss. For the first time I felt my lips curl into a small smile. An _actual_ smile. That kiss reminded me of my mom when she was worried I got lost or got injured, even if it was a small scar. It made me feel loved.

So this is how it felt like to smile again. It might be small but it was a start.

"Hey boy" I smiled, scratching his belly. Wolf's tail wagged really fast. I held up my hand to get him to sit. "Good boy" I took out some dog food and Wolf scoffed it down before I could hold out my hand. "What is it you want, Wolf?" I asked. Wolf tugged me towards the door. "No, Wolf. I'm not going out there" I stated. Wolf put on his pair of puppy dog eyes and stared at me until I submitted to him. I pulled up my hood and walked out of the room with Wolf behind me. I locked the door with a very hard to bypass firewall.

Wolf and I walked through the mountain and towards the library. The good thing is that we didn't run into anyone I felt like punching. Once we were at the library I picked out a book called The Zero Game. I sat down cross legged on the floor leaning against a beanbag. Wolf laid down beside me with his head on my lap. I positioned the book low enough for Wolf to see too. I turned to the first page and silently read it with Wolf. He would tell me to turn over the page with a grunt.

 **No POV**

The team came back from their mission and were cheering. It was a complete success, no one got hurt and they got to do it alongside the league. If the way they performed didn't show that they were responsible then nothing would, but the only thing that really happened was that they got sprayed with a weird ray. The league said they would give them a check-up when they got back and when they did it, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Another successful mission" Megan cheered. The others joined in. "Let's watch a movie, there's a bunch of DVD's in the library. Come on" They headed to the library while trying to decide what to watch. Once they got there they didn't notice John at all. He didn't bother either. "So what movie?" Robin asked while looking through the column.

"The wedding planner" Wally called.

"Freddy Krueger" Conner said plainly.

"James Bond" Robin mimicked his voice.

"Percy Jackson" Kaldur insisted.

"Max Payne" Artemis stated.

"All of me" Megan smiled.

"Megan, we already watched 'All of me'. To think of it we also watched Percy Jackson, most of James Bond and Max Payne" Conner stated, "It limits our choices to Freddy, James and The wedding planner"

"Let's vote then" Artemis said, deflated that they weren't going to watch Max Payne. Robin was about to reply when they heard a bark. The team jumped and looked at where the source came from. It was Wolf and John. He stood up and put the book back on the shelf. His face wasn't showing though, only his half his face was showing and two little black and white strings. He made his way to the door with Wolf behind him.

"Hey John, wanna watch a movie with us?" Batgirl asked. John didn't answer but it was clear to say he was still pissed off with them. The team sighed but no one saw how broken Robin looked. "Let's just watch the wedding planner" Robin said. They went back to the sitting room and put it on. During the movie they would laugh. Robin would but his mind would always go back to how John just ignored them. It reminded Robin of the days when he was a child and his dad would ignore him, denying that he was his son or if he failed a simple task.

During the credit scene the mentors' zeta'd in. "A mission for us? Or training?" Wally asked. "Training actually, remember we didn't get to finish our one about languages" Black Canary informed. The team nodded but winced at the memory at the same time. "Is John still in his room? He could take part in this session" Superman added. "We saw him leaving the library an hour ago" Zatanna recalled, "He might be in his room though."

"Let's go then" Black Canary led them towards John's room.

 _Hello, hello it's only me infecting everything you love. Somewhere beyond the pain there must be a way to believe._

 **(A/N: Evanescence - What you want. Pretty good song especially in acapella. Check it out!)**

The gothic music could be heard coming from John's room as they approached. It was rather depressing and dark but also up beat. Black Canary knocked on the door and said softly, "John training session is on and it's something you can join in."

John's music stopped and shuffling could be heard. They heroes backed away as the door opened. Wolf came out first then John did with a toolbox. He locked the door and activated the firewall. He did a hand motion that said "lead the way". Black Canary led them down the hall turned left and into the spare conference room. It had windows and a huge oval shaped table with enough space to fit everyone.

The mentors took a seat on one side of the table while the young ones took a seat on the other. John sat two seats away from them and was more infatuated with his tools he was using to enhance his pair of gloves.

Black Canary stood up top. "Can someone tell me why we need to know languages?" Black Canary asked. Megan and Conner put up their hand. "Megan" Black Canary motioned her to speak. "It's a way to communicate with people" Megan answered. "Conner."

"It's a way to know what people are saying and could help in missions" Conner answered. Black Canary nodded, "Anyone else." John put his hand up lazily. Black Canary nodded. "Languages are used to communicate with others. Knowing other languages can calm down a victim that speaks a different language. It can also help if you're trapped or being strangled to do sign language without the captor being suspicious." John stated.

"Correct" Black Canary said a bit wonder struck, "Now let's see how many languages you know. Artemis you go first then we'll continue from there" The heroes all stared at John for a minute to just check he was going to have the same reaction he did before. John rolled his eyes and continued to upgrade his gloves. "I speak Vietnamese, French and I'm learning Latin in school" Artemis said.

Black Canary took out a marker and drew on the board.

 _ **Artemis – 3**_

"I know only English and Atlantian" Kaldur said shyly.

 _ **Kaldur – 2**_

"I'm learning Spanish and I'm quite fluent in French" Wally bragged.

"Ensuite, répondre à cette question. Vous êtes plein de stupidité? **Then respond to this question. Are you full of stupidity?** " John asked. Wally looked confused, "Um, Oui" Wally answered. Half of the room laughed at him. "It just took another language for you to admit you're fully of stupidity" Black Canary sniggered.

 _ **Wally – 1**_

Wally glared at John. "I know French, Spanish and I'm learning Latin too" Conner blushed as he got a small smile from Superman.

 _ **Conner – 3**_

"I know Martian, English and I'm learning Spanish but it's hard because I came at the middle of the year" Megan frowned at the end. "I'm sure you're doing fine" Black Canary smiled.

 _ **Megan – 3**_

"I speak French, Spanish, Ajië, Aleut and I'm learning Latin." Robin smirked as Batman nodded at him. "That's a lot!" Wally exclaimed.

 _ **Robin – 5**_

"We only know Spanish" The girls said.

 _ **Batgirl – 1**_

 _ **Zatanna – 1**_

"I know French, Latin, Spanish, Finnish, and Dutch" Rose said.

"So far you and Robin know the most" Black Canary cheered.

 _ **Rose – 5**_

"John" Black Canary called. John sighed at and looked up at her but she didn't know that. "Could you take down your hood, please?" Black Canary asked. John sighed again but did as he was told. The heroes around him gasped. He looked amazing. John ran his hand through his hair and leaned on the chair.

"I know, French, Spanish, Latin, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, German, Arabic, Aragonese, Bashkir, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Chechen, Chinese, Japanese, Danish, Dutch, English, Romanaji, Tamaranian, Sign language, Romanian and Romani" John stated.

"HEY! You can't repeat the same language again" Wally scolded. "Romanian and Romani are two different languages" Batman stated. "Wow 22 languages, that's more than what the league knows!" Black Canary awed.

"So English wasn't your first language" Artemis said. John shook his head. "What was your first language?" Black Canary asked. "Russian." John lied but not fully.

 _ **Maybe we can try and spend time with him so he can forgive us**_ , Batgirl said through the mind link. The others agreed except Batman.

 _ **He'll figure it out, he's smart. I rather earn his forgiveness**_ , Batman stated.

"Maybe you can teach us some. We'd love to learn some" Flash suggested. John glared at all of them. "Do I look stupid to you?" John asked. "No, of course not" Superman responded. "You obviously do if you think I'd fall for your plan. I knew what you're trying to do before you even thought of it. It's a big deal when people don't lie to me" John said darkly, "You all haven't learned your lesson but Batman did."

"Why is it a big deal?" Wally gulped. John put on his gloves and extended his fingers causing long blades to come out, "I don't take it lightly with them" John answered running his finger along the blades surface. John stood up and left the room. "I told you so" Batman sighed.

* * *

 **That was chapter 17 and I hope you enjoyed it. If you did please leave a comment, favorite or follow the story. In this chapter I just wanted to explain John's backstory and how he met Bruce for the funeral. I hope it clears things up for you but if you have any questions just pm me to get them answered. Then I'll get back to you as soon as I can.**

 **And I'm sorry, John is just too smart for his own good.**

 **Do you like John's new hair? Can any of you make a picture of it? And what program would you use to make drawings and technical art?**

 **Until next time don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**

 **P.S. For you grayson4life since you get so excited when I update, here's a second chapter next on the same day!**


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18 R**

 **Hey guys I'm back up and running so let me present chapter 18 to you all! I'm hoping you're all following the story ok and find the reason why Jericho is after John. I'd like to think of this as a Scooby gang mystery sometimes. R.I.P Casey aka Shaggy**

 **So sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

" _Life goes on and the people sing their song_ " John stopped himself. He hadn't sung this song in years, but, what made him sing it now? John frowned, this wasn't like him at all. Something about being trapped must have brought some nostalgia along with it. One simple thing could bring back unwanted memories for him. _'Meh, it's not like most of my memories are good'_ , John thought to himself.

John sighed, he really wanted to work out. It wasn't like him to sit still, he would always be moving. Even if it's just his fingers, he only ever stopped if it was super important to. It helped him be in a better mood but right now he felt rubbish. He couldn't do anything, everything revolved around exercising. Running is exercise, cartwheels is exercise, dancing is exercise, jogging is exercise, skipping is exercise, cycling is exercise. EVERTHING IS EXERCISE!

John resisted the urge to slam his head against the wall repeatedly. He looked at his watch, it was 3 in the morning. "I have nothing better to do then watch TV I guess" John mumbled to himself. He left his room and headed to the sitting room with his own DVD in his hand. Once he got there he turned on the TV and crouched down to put in his movie Resident Evil. He sat down on the couch and pressed play.

 ***BREAKLINE***

 _ **Guys, do you hear that?**_ Megan asked.

 _ **Yes**_ , they answered in unison.

 _ **Who is it? All I can hear is screaming**_ , Wally said slightly panicking.

 _ **Calm down, we should call our mentors to check it out. Robin can you do it?**_ Kaldur asked.

 _ **On it right now. Any minute now . . . got it! They're on their way**_ , Robin stated.

 _ **What should we do?! Our weapons can't be used because if we do we won't be able to see. And if we turn on a light they'll be able to see us coming**_ , Artemis panicked.

 _ **Calm down. Let's just meet up in the hanger and find something**_ , Conner said grumpily.

They all snuck out of their rooms and sprinted as quietly as they could to the hanger while they grabbed a random item to use as a weapon. Artemis grabbed a tall vase, Robin grabbed a broomstick, Conner didn't bother and neither did Megan and Kaldur took air freshener and Rose refused to get a weapon.

"Ok friends, we have to do this covertly. Our mentors have taken too long to respond. Let's go" Kaldur whispered then led the team down the hallways and towards the sound. Where the screaming got louder. Before they could react a shadow started to appear around the corner.

Without any thought whatsoever Artemis brought down her vase on the figures head. Wally held out his leg and tripped it. Robin smacked his broom on their leg while Kaldur sprayed air freshener in their face. Megan then let out a high pitched scream and used her powers to send the assailant flying. Conner was about to run up to him and punch the lights out of him but someone grabbed him.

Suddenly the lights were turned on to reveal their mentors and that the assailant was John. He was wet as he was thrown at the sink causing the whole structure to fall. John rubbed his eyes and opened them but only by a small bit. He pulled himself up with the help of a chair nearby. "Oh! We're so sorry!" Megan apologized while drying him off with her powers. Everyone crowded around him. John growled and clenched and unclenched his fists to stop himself from strangling them.

John scowled and walked out of the room. Everyone separated like the red sea and let him pass. They didn't want him to hurt them at all. He was already pissed off beyond compare but after this he was probably going to have their heads.

"You all should not sleep and be very careful for the next few days or weeks." Batman informed them. "So you're just going to let him kill us" Artemis exclaimed. "Yes but we'll patch you up after. It serves you right for smashing a vase on an ex-assassin's head. That's a big no, no!" Huntress exclaimed.

"Go back to your rooms but don't sleep" Flash said in a sing-song voice as they zeta'd away. That night they all took turns on who would stay awake while the others slept. But none of them got proper sleep and soon enough they all just fell asleep, well more like dropped.

 ***BREAKLINE***

The next morning when they woke up they saw John sitting at the counter with a sketchpad and art tools. They then remember what happened last night and checked themselves to see no parts of their bodies were missing but a team member was. "Wally's gone!" Robin gasped. They all stared at John who continued drawing and flipped over the page to draw another. "Where is he?" Artemis demanded.

"I don't know" John responded. "You liar! You did something to him. Who else would do something like this? You obviously wanted to hurt us for what happened last night" Artemis shouted. John shook his head and continued drawing. Artemis grabbed the sketchpad off John. "Tell me what you did with Wally" Artemis demanded. John didn't pay attention to her, his eyes were on the sketchpad.

Artemis traced his stare to it and then held it under the sink that was now fixed. "Where is he?!" Artemis demanded one more time. "I don't know" John answered again. "John, if you don't tell me where he is I'll submerge this sketchpad of yours." Artemis threatened. "Artemis, calm down. I believe John when he says he doesn't know" Kaldur coaxed. Artemis shook her head, there was no changing her mind.

"Artemis, don't do it. We've upset him enough" Robin said firmly. "I'll ask you one more time. Where. Is. Wally." Artemis growled. "I don't know" John stated. Artemis then dropped the sketchpad in the sink and turned the faucets on. John ran over to the sink and pushed Artemis out of his way. Artemis fell with a thud, Megan helped her up. They all stared at John. He had the sketchpad barely in his hands but it was soaked through and through.

John closed his eyes and bowed his head. He then opened them and walked over to the bin where he threw it in. He then walked away, but, where? They didn't hear the zeta tubes nor did they heard his door close. "Way to go, Artemis. How about you just insult his friend as well" Robin said sarcastically. "He did something to Wally, I just did what was needed to be done" Artemis answered, her voice stone cold. "What did he do to me?" They heard coming from the middle of the room.

It was Wally. "Where were you?" Conner asked. "In the bathroom" Wally answered. Robin glared at Artemis. "So much for something happening to him, eh?" Robin spat. Artemis glared at Robin. "Oh, about him getting back at us? He said he wouldn't bother, he told me that he rather not. That's not what he was about" Wally recalled from his morning talk with John, "That someone would always get hurt."

Robin walked over to the bin and pulled out the sketchpad. "I might as well dry this off" He said to himself. He took out a hairdryer out of nowhere, plugged it in started to dry it. "I'll help too" Megan said. She and Robin got to work. They managed to dry it all off as the mentors transported down. "What are you doing?" Wonder Woman asked. "Drying a sketchpad Artemis destroyed." Robin said glaring daggers at Artemis.

"John can get a new one" Artemis waved it off. Robin sighed and flicked through the pages. All the drawings were not colour blotches and stains. Robin flicked to the very first page and found some writing, as he read it his eyes widened. "What's wrong?" Batman asked. "This was from his mom. She passed it down to him as a gift. That's why he was so upset over it" Robin whispered.

" _To my son, I hope you find this useful as much as I have. I love you, Mom_ " Robin read out.

Artemis stone cold façade melted right off to show a sorry look mixed in with sadness and shame. "Where is he?" Batman asked. "We don't know, we didn't hear him enter his room. He definitely can't zeta out of the mountain" Conner answered. "Everyone split up, we have to find him. He could do anything in his state of mind" Batman ordered. They all nodded and went in separate directions.

Batman tried his room but he had a code not even he could hack through. Batman scowled. "Why does he have to be so smart?" Batman said to himself. He ran and searched every area John would probably go to, to be alone. But nothing. Batman couldn't imagine what he was going through, he just witnessed the last item he had from his family be destroyed. Batman wouldn't have been able to take it.

"Batman, I can't find him. Thank God he's not outside. It just got really cold and windy." Huntress called out. Soon enough after that everyone returned and none of them had seen a sign of John. Batman ordered them to search again. But after an hour they searched every nook and cranny but found nothing. "Wow, he must be topped up his hiding places so he could get some privacy" Robin sighed.

Just then Batman copped on. The _very_ top of the mountain, they hadn't checked it. And the weather . . . oh dear. "Everyone stay here" Batman growled. Batman sprinted before he could get an answer. He reached the secret elevator that led to the top and pressed the button. Batman paced the elevator worried about John. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" He growled. And then as if on command the elevator reached the top. He got out and opened the hatch.

He shielded himself from the wind and squinted as he scanned the top. Through the strong wind, blots of black made him uncertain but as soon as he saw one near the edge he knew it was John. He raced over to John as soon as he saw him. He checked John's pulse, he was still alive but his skin was cold. Batman turned his head so they were staring at each other. John's eyes were open but it looked like his soul was gone, as if he wasn't in his body anymore. And his eyes lost their shine. Batman shook him but he was unresponsive. Just then a huge gale of wind knocked them over. Batman wrapped his arms around John as he fell to protect him from impact. He got up and picked John up and ran to the hatch as fast as he could. Once he was in he closed the hatch and got into the elevator.

"John. John, come on" Batman whispered as he shook John gently. But still no answer, Artemis must have hit home. Batman held John closer. "I'm so sorry your sketchpad was ruined." Batman apologized, "I can't imagine the pain you're feeling right now." Just then they reached the mountain floor. Batman walked out with him and wrapped his cape around John. Batman walked back to the sitting room where the others were.

Once the others saw him they crowded around Batman. "Give him space" Batman growled. He sat on the couch and checked John for a temperature just to see if he caught a cold. "What's wrong with him?" Artemis asked. "He's in trance but instead of him being unconscious, he's awake just unresponsive. He's in a poor mental state now" Batman glared at Artemis. Artemis looked away. Batman sighed and took out his comm piece and put it in his ear.

"Melissa, are you there?" Batman asked. There was a slight crackle before she answered. "Yes I am. What's the problem?" Melissa asked. "It's John. He's in trance and unresponsive with his eyes open" Batman explained. "What happened?" Melissa demanded more than she asked. "His sketchpad was ruined by Artemis" Batman responded. "Send Manhunter to come get me as fast as he can. I'll deal with this" Melissa stated. Batman nodded at Manhunter and the Martian was on his way.

Batman closed his comm. "She'll be here soon. Hang on till then" Batman said to John. He then took out a metal card and placed it on the band on John's arm. With a soft clicking noise it came off. Batman took it and put it away. "What you think she'll do?" Huntress asked, sitting beside Batman. "I don't know but I trust her enough to not question her" Batman answered. Huntress nodded and stroked John's white hair and fiddled drooping long locks at the sides of his head. "I hope she can do it." Huntress sighed as she looked into John's eyes.

Wolf joined them on the couch and laid his head on John's shoulder as he whimpered. After two hours of silence the zeta tubes activated.

 **Mystique B10**

Mystique was in her attire and running into the sitting room. She stopped in front of John and took out a small flashlight and shined it into John's eyes. She then put it away and looked up at Batman. "I need you to lay him on the couch then help me move the other couches and table and carpet" Mystique instructed. Batman nodded, they all got off the couch so Batman could lay John down.

Once he did that Batman helped move the furniture and so did Huntress. The others watched them work but their eyes were mostly on John. He still wasn't responding. "He has that same look in the video" Conner stated absentmindedly. The heroes nodded as they just took notice of it. This just broke their hearts.

Mystique took out a long stick that had a light violet colored chalk on top. She drew a large circle than drew another within it. She started to draw symbols of all sorts and took her time but none of them understood them. "Hurry! What's taking so long?" Artemis demanded. "It takes a while and since you don't know anything about this ritual, don't comment. We wouldn't have this problem if you hadn't ruined the sketchpad he was given from his mother" Mystique said, her voice was ice piercing into Artemis.

"I'm done. I now need you all to leave the room except Batman and Robin." Mystique stated. This caused an up roar of disagreements. Mystique glared at them but this wasn't her normal glare. It was the Batglare. In a second they all left the room. Mystique knelled in the middle of the circle. "One of you stand on the left side and one on the other" Mystique instructed. They did as they were told. Mystique then closed her eyes and muttered a few words.

The circle began to glow a whitish-purple color. And just then music could be heard and out of nowhere two figures, one man and one female, came out and positioned John on their laps and smiled. "Son, son wake up" The mother said softly. John's eyes flickered and finally started to respond. "Hey squirt, not much of a morning person are you now" The father joked. John turned to face them. "Mom, Dad" He whispered.

His mom and dad smiled at John and stroked his hair. "You put yourself through too much stress, my little bird" Mom said, "It's time to relax." As John was about to say something his mom out a finger on his mouth. John closed his mouth and laid his head against his mom's chest.

 **(A/N: Sweeney Todd - Not while I'm around. It's too emotional for me right now!)**

" _Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around. Nothings gonna harm you, no sir. Not while I'm around. Demons are prowling everywhere nowadays. I'll send them howling, I don't care, I got ways. No one's gonna hurt you, no one's gonna dare. Others can desert you, not to worry, whistle I'll be there. Demons will charm you with a smile for a while but in time. Nothings can harm you, not while I'm around._ " His mom sang to him.

 **Batmans POV**

I turned to look at Robin. His . . . his parents were talking to him . . . they were there. My breathing hitched, _'If his are here, could this mean so are mine?'_ I felt a hand on his shoulder. I slowly turned around, afraid but eager to see my parents. It was them, they were smiling at me. I couldn't control my feelings anymore, I hugged my mother and father. "Mother, Father" I breathed.

"Hello son, you've grown a lot since the last time we saw you. One minute you're a small boy and now you're grown up and taken in a child to raise as your own. We're so proud of you" my dad smiled. I hugged them tighter. I wanted to hug them one more time if this was the last time I saw them.

 **Johns POV**

I remember that song, I would always sing it to my little sister and my parents would join in. It was a song of reassurance for us all. It always worked for us. I looked up into my parents eye's and took in their appearance. It's been so long.

" _Not to worry, not to worry. I may not be smart but I ain't dumb. I can do it, put me to it. Show me something I can overcome. Not to worry, son. Being close and being clever ain't like being true. I don't need to, I will never hide a thing from you. Like some_ " Dad sung as he tapped me on the nose. I smiled at him.

I mostly sung it when there was a thunderstorm outside at night. Sparrow would always run into my room and climb into my bed. I would always hold her near and sing this song to her. It just popped into my head one night and I sung it to her. The next day I decided to put music to it. Since then I took an interest in music as a way to express myself.

" _Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around. Nothings gonna harm you, darling. No when I'm around_ " They sang in unison.

" _Demons will charm you with a smile for a while but in time. Nothings gonna harm you, not while I'm around_ " I amended before I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

 **No POV**

The others marched in as they were tired of waiting. And the sight shocked them. Batman was hugging his parents but they couldn't see their faces and didn't it was his parents. Robin was hugging his too and John he was asleep against his mom's chest as they hummed to him. Just then they started to fade away as they said their goodbyes.

John was laid on the couch again but with a red blanket covering him. Mystique's eyes opened and the glow disappeared. The room was silent for a few minutes but then it was broken. "What just happened?" Wonder Woman asked. "Something good" Batman smiled at Robin who smiled back. "Thank you, Mystique" Robin smiled. Mystique smiled back at Robin, "No problem. I'm happy you all benefit from this as much as John did."

Batman went over to the couch and picked John up gently. Mystique followed Batman as he walked towards John's room. Mystique out in the code and opened the door for Batman. Batman laid him on the bed and left the room as he sensed John and Mystique needed some alone time. John's eyes opened ever so slightly and smiled at Mystique.

"Hey" "Hey" They said at the same time and laughed. "You're tired right now, you need rest. I'm sorry I can't stick around. I promised my parents I'd be on my way home when I was finished." Mystique said softly. "It's okay and thank you." John whispered. She leaned in and kissed John. John put one hand on her back and kissed her. She then pulled back and said her goodbyes and left John asleep.

John then shifted in his sleep, there was something poking at his back. He reached and pulled out . . . his old stuffed toy elephant, Peanut. He also noticed he had his old red blanket. He smiled and cuddled up with his elephant.

* * *

 **That was chapter 18 and it took me 6 pages. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I liked writing it. It took me about two days to write it. I hope you understood and too it all in.**

 **Mystique brought back his parents so he could be his normal self again and in the process brought back Robin's parents and Batman's because she felt sorry for them all. She isn't staying and won't see this John is a new and improved John. He now smiles, laughs and might get back to his mischievous ways. But he won't let the team know that.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19 R**

 **Hey guys! New chapter for today, if it took me long to update I'm sorry, but if I'm on time HURRAY! So here's the next chapter that is set for the same day as chapter 18 was because it was just the morning at the end. So stayed tuned!**

 **So sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

It's been four hours since John has been asleep. Since then Robin and Batman have been pestered with questions about what happened in the room and what they witnessed. They both refused to answer and led Mystique to the ship. She gave Robin a hug and shook Batman's hand but there was something in her hand. She just smiled and got on the ship. Once she was gone Batman looked down at his hand to see a key card. Batman didn't need to be told what this was for.

During the four hours he would look up at the time. After four hours it was 2pm. Batman walked up to his room and swiped the key card to open the door. Batman smiled at the sight and used every last ounce of my willpower not to take a few pictures. "John, wake up" Batman said softly. "Five more minutes, dad" John mumbled. He felt my heart flutter as he called him dad. _'I think I like John when he was half asleep'_ Batman thought. "You already slept for four hours. You need to get some food in you" Batman responded. John took his pillow and put it over his head. "I don't like her cooking" He groaned.

"Well, I'll bring you up to the watchtower for breakfast" Batman chuckled as he knew John was talking about Megan's cooking. "But dad, I'm too tired to stand up" John whined. Batman chuckled once again and picked him up, John automatically wrapped his arms around Batman and rested his head on the crook of Batman's neck. Batman covered John in his cape so no one would see him bring John to the watchtower.

Batman made it swiftly through the team without them giving him a second glance. He transported them up and made his way to the cafeteria that had the league eating breakfast. He carefully sat down with the other colleagues. "Nice of you to join us, Batman. Would you like me to get you something to eat?" Wonder Woman asked. "Fruit cup, please" Batman said politely. Wonder Woman smiled and went over to get one.

"Since when do you eat here, Batman?" Flash asked. "It's not for me" Batman said plainly. Wonder Woman then came back with a delicious looking fruit cup and a fork. "Here you go, Batman" Wonder Woman placed it in front of Batman. Batman nodded his thanks and pulled his cape back to reveal the little sleeping angel on his lap. The mentors awed at John. Batman rolled his eyes and gently shook John.

"Breakfast is ready for you" Batman said softly, ignoring the looks he got from the ones around him. "Later, dad" John yawned. This shocked the peers. "John come on now" Batman responded. John opened his eyes tiredly and nodded. Batman placed him on the seat beside him and gave him the food. John leaned against Batman's side and ate the chopped up fruit as he fought to keep his eyes open. Batman looked down at him just in case John fell.

The heroes smiled at the scene, _especially_ when a small smile appeared in Batman's face as he watched John. John continued to eat his breakfast as this happened, he wasn't paying attention to the people around him at all. He yawned and started to fall backwards with his eyes closing. Batman quickly put a hand on his back and gently pushed him back up. John then finished off his meal and yawned cutely. The women squealed at how cute he was. "Hey honey, stay awake now" Huntress said cheerfully. "But mom, it's too early for that" John moaned as he leaned against Batman and closed his eyes. Huntress smiled as he called her mom.

"Well come on, we have a mission for the team." Batman said. "M'kay" But John made no move to stand. "I'll take care of this" Flash laughed as he crouched down beside John, "Hop on, lil sea monkey" John got on Flash's back as he was told to do. Flash got back into his standing position and held onto John's leg so he wouldn't fall. "You're stronger than dad. One sneeze and he'd probably break his back." John said. They all laughed as Batman gave him a playful glare.

"Thanks for the compliment, kid." Flash said as he playfully stuck his tongue out at Batman. They zeta'd down to the mountain to give a debriefing. As they were transported down the team were there waiting but didn't notice John at all. "We have a mission for you in Gotham. Today you'll be retrieving the Aurora diamonds. But to do that you need to be given it willingly by the owner, Tommy Lynch. The diamonds can steal strength from anyone and youth and we think a villain is after them." Batman said as he pulled a picture of him on the computer.

"Tommy Lynch, the second richest person in Europe" Megan said. "Yes, he will be hosting a gallery party and you're all going. The theme is sophistication. It's a very big thing to him. His brother will be there to. His name is Matthew and he's the same age." Black Canary added, "Red Arrow will be coming too" And just like that he zeta'd in and nodded to the team.

"Tommy Lynch is a very unique 15 year old who loves a bit of difference in his life. He likes wild animals, the outdoors, tattoos and wild things. He'll be very hard to get the Aurora diamonds off. So you have to pull out all the stops. Black Canary will give you your outfits." Green Arrow amended.

"Any questions?" Batman asked. Roy put up his hands and Batman nodded to let him talk. "Who's the little birdy on Flash's back?" Roy asked. The team then took notice of him. "This is John other known as Red X. He's tired, he only sleeps and eats once a month" Batman stated. Roy's hand went up again, "Is he a Meta but even if he's not he isn't human, right?" Roy asked. "He's fully human with no powers" Batman answered.

"He's so weird" Wally said. He reached out to touch him but then in a flash, John grabbed his arm and flipped him to the ground and manipulated the Flash's leg to stomp on his throat. "John!" Black Canary cried. But John wasn't awake. Flash shook him awake as he stumbled away. John looked around him and asked, "What happened?" "You attacked me" Wally choked out. "I tend to do that in my sleep. But it's your fault for trying to touch me" John yawned. Wally glared at him but John wasn't fazed, he just remained with an unblinking expression.

"Well, since you're awake this is–"

"Red Arrow aka Roy Harper. Used to be called Speedy. Adopted by Green Arrow aka Oliver Queen and is ex-partner. On the day the partners would join their mentors they went into a conference room but were refrained from action. As Red Arrow didn't tolerate it, he left. That day Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash went on a mission to Cadmus then stumbled on the lower levels where they not only came across genomorphs and Guardian but across Superboy the clone of Superman. They released him but then he attacked them, they were unconscious after a few minutes. When they woke up they were placed in pods so their DNA could be extracted. The trio convinced Superboy to help them and escaped while Robin threw explosive disks at their taken DNA. They fought genomorphs and Dubillex gave Superboy a choice of freedom or no freedom. Superboy chose freedom and continued to fight then the doctor drank a blockbuster formula and turned into a monster. After a long struggle Robin instructed the others to destroy the pillars. As the building came down Superboy and Aqualad sheltered Robin and Kid Flash. They got out of the rubble later on and showed Superboy the moon and then he saw the justice league descend" John said closing his eyes again.

The team around him was shocked. "How did you know that!?" Robin asked. "Screw Batman being the world's best detective." John smirked maliciously before it disappeared and continued to sleep on. "I like him, he's got spunk. I respect him" Roy said. "Anyways come on. Time to get dressed while the men try to wake John up." Black Canary shooed the kids and dragged Wonder Woman and Huntress along with her.

Silence fell between the men. "We could give him sugar" Green Arrow suggested. Batman shrugged, "I don't know about that because Robin did tell me that he gets bad sugar rushes but it's worth a try" The men walked to the kitchen. "We should mix it with water to give it to him" Flash stated. Green Arrow did so and gave it to Batman. Batman took John and tilted his head back to he could pour the liquid down his throat. John coughed and got into a sitting position. He rubbed his eyes and looked around.

"John you have to go get dressed for the mission. Go to the rec room for your outfit" John nodded and went to that room with the males following. "Nice of you to join us. Here's your clothing" Wonder Woman held it out to him. John took a look at it with a horrified look on his face. "I can't wear this. I'll make my own outfit." John grabbed the clothing and ran off. "Strange boy he is" Huntress laughed.

After an hour everyone except John came out. It was now 4pm, like seriously what took them so long to dress!

Wally wore a white shirt with a tie. He had over that an archive sweater. He was fitted into blue jeans that stood out by the grey jacket he had on and yellow sneakers. His hair was gelled to the side. He looked really sophisticated.

Artemis had on blue jeans, heeled black boots and dark grey jacket that hid the whit flowy top she was wearing. For accessory she out on a green bangle on her left wrist and tied up her hair.

Zatanna strutted her outfit. A round hat, a white top with a black jacket over it. Grey jeans and long black heels. And a yellow bag to stand out. She straightened her hair and added on pink lip gloss.

Robin wore a black suit but without a jacket and a red tie. He wore brown contact lenses so he didn't have to reveal his identity. Conner had on a grey shirt and black jacket with red buttons, blue loose jeans and his favourite boots.

Megan ported a black sleeved top, a nice skirt, tights and boots with a red bag. Roy beside her was dressed in blue jeans, black boots, and a black jacket over his red top and a grey scarf. They looked very classy for simple dressing.

'Kyle' was fixing his grey lined shirt that were folded to above his elbows and unbuttoned at the top. Almost dark jeans red shoes and a nice hat. Barbra wore a dress with white material that stops at the end of her chest and the rest was black. She added on grey tights and black heels with a deep blue purse. She curled her hair slightly and out on mascara and lipstick.

Rose just settled with a flowy black dress with stilettos and a grey jacket and a hat similar to Kyle's.

"Where's John? Is he coming on the mission?" Barbra asked.

"I'm here" John said as he walked in. Everyone's mouth dropped open. John wore a tight black t-shirt that had a red X where his heart was. He had on the new fashion black cardigan that was sleeveless. On the bottom he wore skinny grey jeans that had a black strip clinging onto his right thigh and black, slick high-tops. He dyed his hair to cherry red and renewed his string. But the best part was that he wasn't wearing the black bandages. He right arm had a tattoo went around the top of his bicep. The leaves and vines that were a dull grey colour with red roses that weren't bright but beautiful.

"Woah" Barbra and Zatanna blushed. John rolled his eyes and put on a ring that had small blue diamonds on them. "Are we ready to go?" John asked as he put his hands on his hips. They nodded as they all blushed as they took noticed at how much the jeans showed off his leg muscles. John sighed and leaned against the wall. "You all will be going by a limo driven by Agent A. He's probably arrived by now and is waiting outside, Come along" Batman lead the way while the rest followed. As he said outside was a black limo waiting for them.

John opened the door and held it. "Ladies first" He said. The girls smiled and got in the car and then the guys did and he went last. He sat in an isolated seat and stared at the buildings passing by. Driving through Gotham was weird to him, he hasn't done it since the d- . . . . Incident that occurred here. Gotham was just something else.

"So what do you know about Tommy, Megan?" Barbra asked.

"Well, his parents are archaeologists that live in Britain but they originally lived in Romania in 2011." Megan said.

"Wait, I've met him before with John. I lied that I was Rose Sterlin because he was about to jeopardize the mission. I told him that I came with my brother, André Sterlin, and that if we ever met again I'd introduce them. He's very nice but by the way he turned down everyone who flirted with him was incredible" Rose said, "There's only one person that could get him to give us the diamonds"

"Who?" They asked.

"John, of course" Rose answered.

"No way" Barbra said.

"Believe it. When John and I used to go on missions to observe and collect info in parties he would always be either surrounded by males or females. No matter what age they were. He always got the most info and items off them. He got even a villains to go on a heist with him and got them to go to prison instead of himself and they hadn't breathed a word ever since" Rose explained.

The team stared at John shocked. "Wait. Why would he go on a heist?" Roy asked. The others looked away and didn't answer. "I'm the ex-protégé to Deathstroke" John stated without feeling ashamed. "Ok, I can deal with that" Roy nodded. Silence followed after that. The others were glancing at John worryingly just in case he got upset after that fact that Deathstroke was brought up.

"Master John, I better not find you bringing any ladies with you back to this limo later. You seem to have a track record" Agent A warned him. The teenagers laughed as John rolled his eyes playfully. "I bet that I could get more numbers than you, John. After all I am better looking and likable than you" Wally bragged. John raised his eyebrow, "I'm only ever going to do this once but challenge accepted, West" John sighed.

"It's now 6pm and dark outside. Time to prove yourself because we're here." Agent A opened the door for them to reveal paparazzi cameras flashing as they waited for them to leave the limo.

Kaldur went out first and helped Rose out of the car. They smiled at the camera and walked. The others followed; the cameras fluttered as they walked. The last one to step onto the red carpet was John, causing the paparazzi to forget about the team and pay full attention to him. He had his hands in his pockets and showed the paparazzi his a thousand megawatt billionaire grin. As he continued to walk down the red carpet gorgeous teenage girls joined him.

He shrugged and put his arms around their waists as they put their hand on his chest. Wally's mouth dropped as they got inside while Roy said "Respect" and Rose laughed. "It isn't mannerly to keep your mouth open. Am I right ladies?" John said. "Yes you are" They said dreamily. John smirked. "Disgusting manners. Wait until I tell my companions of this behaviour" One of them said, "We'll be back" They kissed John on each side of the cheek and skipped away.

"Spread out and find information." Kyle order. The team nodded and split up. Rose told the team to come with her so she could get the plan in motion. Rose then saw Tommy and called out his name, "Tommy!" Tommy turned around and smiled adorably at Rose and moved to give her a hug. "Rose, long time no see" He beamed. "Yes I know but as soon as I heard that you were hosting this party I had to come with my friends and my brother" Rose said.

"This is Barbra, Kyle, Artemis, Robin, Wally, Roy, Conner, Megan and Zatanna" Rose introduced. Tommy shook each of their hand. "Where's your brother?" Tommy asked. "Here's right there" Rose pointed at her 'brother, André'. André had a small grin on his face and was talking to guys around his age. He laughed cutely and tilted his head to the side.

Tommy's eyes were huge, "Are you sure that's him?" he asked. Rose laughed, "Yes silly, that's him. Would you like me to call him over?" "Um . . . no, it's ok. He seems busy" Tommy said and bid farewell for now. "What did I tell you guys" Rose smirked. The others were speechless. Rose laughed and went off talking to people she knew.

"What just happened?" Artemis asked. "Well, Tommy just fell for 'André' and is now following him up the stairs" Roy said. The team shook their shock and confusion away and went separate ways in pairs.

* * *

 **That is chapter 19 for you all. The next chapter will begin where I left in this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I know that it's all messed up timeline but I don't want to get into the serious business yet but it will come soon. Give me requests about what you want to be in this story or the next chapter.**

 **FYI John sleeping is a side effect from him seeing his parents again.**

 **P.S. I finished writing the next chapter but I won't upload it yet because I'm no where near done for the chapter after that.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20 R**

 **Hey guys I'm back. Sorry if it took a long time but apparently my laptop is bangaxed and needs to get fixed so for now I'll be using a HP Mini to write this chapter. It's just so weird to be using this again. I touched the screen and expected it to scroll down then I remembered it isn't a touch screen one unlike my surface.**

 **My next few chapters will be hard to upload and finish so please bear with me because next week I get it back and will probably be typing this in class.**

 **So sit back, relax and...**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

Andre walked through the crowd on the second floor as he kept his eyes open for the Aurora diamonds. He had a feeling this mission wouldn't be as straight forward as the league said. Everything they said was going to be easy he would presume it's either hard or something was going to happen that he wouldn't like. Like the time Deathstroke told him he had a simple mission but yet he managed to get captured by crazy scientists and put in a room where they lowered the air density and put him through training that would kill the average human . . . but, he wasn't the average human. Far from it actually.

"Andre, about time you stepped out of your shell" A girl said. Andre turned around and smirked at Renzci. "I've been doing that all my life, Renzci. Why else would I be here?" Andre said. Renzci laughed, "I would guess to get the Aurora diamonds no?" "You know me too well, Renzci. But this time it's for a good cause" Andre smiled. "And the boy smiles! Now I know you're human" Renzci joked. Andre laughed and looked over Renzci to see Tommy sneaking a look at him. Andre smiled at him, causing Tommy to blush and looked back at Renzci who had her eyebrows raised.

"No you're not" She said. "Yes I am, come on. We need to snoop around" Andre took her hand and dragged her around. "You sly slapper. I shouldn't even be shocked at this stage" Renzci stated. "I'm full of surprises remember" Andre smirked. Just then Artemis came up to them. "Andre, Rose is arguing with this girl about you" She said. Andre nodded and motioned Artemis to lead the way. She led them to the back room of the floor. In the room was Rose and a person he never wanted to see again. Silver.

Andre leaned against the wall to listen in. Whatever they were talking about couldn't be good. By the furious whispers getting louder and louder, it was easy to tell. And Rose getting angry was rare.

"I'm not here to see you. I'm here to talk to John" Silver said.

"He doesn't want to talk to you. There's a reason for that and you know what it is" Rose argued.

"That's why I'm here to fix it. Why are you even stopping me!? You were the one who betrayed his trust" Silver retorted.

"And I'll never forgive myself for what I did to him. Even though I hurt him many times, he still looked out for me and now it's my turn to look out for him. I know the amount of things he did for me is uncountable but I'm trying. I'm putting my hands up and admit that if I took responsibility for everything I did, he wouldn't have had to go through all he did in the past. I know he wants nothing to do with me but I'll always be there for him like he was for me. There's not a single day what I don't regret what I did but I can't stop trying to make things right" Rose said in tears.

Andre furrowed his eyebrows. He never knew that was how Rose felt. He hadn't intended to make her feel like that. He was just too angry to see that.

Andre walked into the room and stood in front of Rose. "I want nothing to do with you. You should leave" Andre stated.

"John, he's still alive. You owe him at least a visit" Silver said softly.

"I owe him nothing. He went after me and tried to kill me and others. I'm never going to visit him so leave before I call security." Andre glared.

"One day, you'll see him whether you like it or not" Silver said as she walked away.

Andre turned around to face Rose. "Are you ok?" He asked. Rose nodded then turned to walk away but Andre pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry." Rose whispered. "No, I'm sorry. I never meant for you to have to carry that guilt for years. You're still my little sister, Rose, no matter what." Andre said, "So don't worry about it anymore."

Andre wiped the tears off away and smiled at Rose and she happily returned it. "Come on now. We have diamonds to find." Andre said. Rose nodded and together they left the room and roamed around. As they did the noticed Matthew Lynch talking to his brother and sneaking looks at them.

"In all my life I've never met people so shy to actually approach you" Rose commented. "Then we make them come to us with a simple trick" Andre winked at her and walked over to a painting on the other side of the room. Rose understood his plan and knew what she needed to do.

Rose waved over at the brothers so they could approach her. When they did she started to talk. "Tommy, can't believe you never introduced me to your brother." Rose said in a sing-song voice. "Oh, this is my brother, Matthew." Tommy laughed while Matthew shook her hand. "Nice to meet you" They said at the same time then laughed. "Wait, I haven't introduced you to my brother" Rose said.

"Andre" She called as she led the brothers towards him. "It's fine, really." Tommy said trying to pull away but Rose took hold of his wrist. Then in a moment Andre was beside his sister. "This is Tommy and Matthew Lynch. Tommy, Matthew this is Andre Sterlin."

"Nice to meet you" He smiled as he shook their hand, "My sister told me so much about you two. She actually talked about you so much that she got me a plane here just to meet you."

"Has she now? Well, it's only fair I show you around." Matthew said a bit slyly. " I can't say no to that." Andre laughed cutely. Matthew and Tommy went starry eyed the moment he laughed. He smiled and led Andre towards a painting.

"What do you think?" Rose asked. "He's . . . he's . . ." Tommy tried but gave up. "You like him don't you?" Rose stated more than she asked. "No, he's just . . ." Tommy attempted to find the words to describe him but only a few words popped into his head. Beautiful, bright, simply just breathtaking. There was just something about him that would make people heads turn if he were to walk past.

"It's ok if you do. I'm not going to do anything." Rose said. Tommy looked at her and sighed. "I dunno." he said. "Come on, we can talk about it." Rose said as she linked arms with him.

 ***BREAKLINE***

"So your parents actually discovered all these artifacts in lost cities." Andre said. "Yep but some were given to us. Like the Cintamani Stone which is actually Resin as a solid that gives immortality. It was found in Shangrila with the help of Marco Polo's notes." Matthew said as he pointed to the stone.

"Who gave you it?" Andre asked. "Sam Ster-. Wait a minute" Matthew looked at Andre to see he was smirking. "Sterlin" Andre finished. "No way." Matthew said, shaking his head. "Believe it. It was the most beautiful sight to see in person." Andre said. "You actually get to go?" Matthew asked. "Yeah, We've come across pirates, Yetis, cursed tombs and statues, mutated humans and very beautiful views" Andre said, "Have you never gone on an adventure?"

"Yeah, but nothing dangerous like that. The historic places are always abandoned." Matthew answered. "Maybe one day you'll get the chance but trust me, they're not easy adventures to go on." Andre reassured, tilting his head to the side slightly and smiling. "You're really optimistic about these things." Matthew said. "Well that's just me." Andre happily with a shrug. Matthew couldn't help smiling.

Andre was really something else.

 ***BREAKLINE***

"How do you think Andre and Rose are holding up?" Roy asked Conner. "I say Rose is doing okay but I don't know about Andre. Reading Andre is like trying to tell the weather by just looking up at the sky. He could be okay one minute but the next be angry without anyone knowing. He's very secretive and devious, he knows things we don't and has a past that blows Batman and Robin's out of the water in a second." Conner answered.

"Damn. Now you're just making me worried. What happened to him in the past?" Roy asked as they walked up to the second floor. "That's the thing, we don't know. All we know is that he used to be Deathstroke's apprentice, his sister died and that he was there with Scorpion, Ravager and Mystique. We don't even know if his parents are alive or if he has any family, his age or why he doesn't like to be touched on his right shoulder. Mystique told us that he just doesn't want his arm to get cut off but that still doesn't answer our questions. He helped us speed up our missions but some of the abilities he possesses for the missions couldn't have come from a mercenary." Conner said in a hushed voice.

"And now I'm worried. I'm more worried even though I don't know him." Roy said as he subconsciously looked around the room for Andre. "We all are but how can you get someone to open up when they won't? Let's go look for him, all this chat about him makes me want to see if he's alright." Conner said.

Roy agreed immediately and speed walked but tried to look normal enough. They ran up the stairs to the third floor. As soon as they reached the third floor they saw Andre leaning against the wall but he was concentrated on two males across the room. He then turned to Matthew and said something before leaving and making his way closer to the two males but still a safe distance away.

After a minute or two, Andre went back over to Matthew and touched his elbow so he could turn around. Matthew said something and Andre nodded with a smile. Roy and Conner stepped to the side as Andre and Matthew walked their way. "She'll be here soon. Don't worry too much about the mission." Andre whispered to them as he disappeared down the stairs with Matthew.

"Let's get the others. W-" but before Roy could finish talking, the floor shook causing people to fall and windows to break. Everyone went into a panic as Morgan Le Fay descended for the top of the stairs with her son in a purple mist. Red Arrow and Conner hid behind a wall and ripped off their suits to reveal their uniforms. Roy put on his mask and extracted his bow.

They ran out and ran up the stairs to attack the masked woman. "Ah, young heroes. Nice of you to join the party." She said as she flicked her wrist causing the two flying back. "It's absurd that you would try to stop me from gaining perfection." As her son secretly ran to get the diamond.

Just then the rest of the team came to help. "You're not going to get the diamonds." Artemis screamed as she fired knock out arrows at Morgan. Morgan put out her hands that stopped them in their tracks. "I'd love to stay but I've got plans to get done. Goodbye." Morgan said as her son returned to her side.

"Wai-" "Sleep" She commanded. As she said that, the team fell unconscious. Morgan and her son disappeared the same way they appeared.

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 **That was chapter 20, yes I know it's short but I'm sick and I did the best I could do in my state. I'M SORRY! Just don't kill me! I just wanted to spend time going fangirl on Shuu Sakamaki from Diabolik Lovers but yet I still haven't watched the anime season 2! Ikr, it's sad. Plus . . . I'm lazy so there's that too.**

 **By the way if you know any anime that's as awesome as Highschool of the Dead, tell me in the comments.**

 **And I did it! Five chapters almost daily! Cheers!**

 **So don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW**

 **Blue out;]**


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 20 R**

 **Hey my fellow Bluebirds!🐦🐦🐦**

 **I actually finished this chapter! THNK GOD! This is very exhausting; I can tell you that much. Well I'm very sorry for the wait and I'm sorry for the even longer wait that will be for NBAR. I am up to my neck with homework and I never get time to myself.**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

John couldn't help if he attracted people, really, he was just an innocent guy wandering around.

It wasn't his fault that he could attract men without even trying, he used it only when needed. All it took was cute, innocent looks, an oblivious manner and a kind personality. He was the charmer and they were the snake, just doing what he wanted. No one said manipulation was a bad thing or evil. It was just a necessary tool, that could be used in any perspective and situation. Nothing wrong with that.

All John was guilty of was letting them fall so hard that they couldn't climb back out once they realised the hard, true fact. He loved the desperation on their faces when it dawned on them, especially when they only copped on when they were on the floor dying slowly, blood oozing from their fatal neck wound they wouldn't recover from. Call John a sadistic but so what, aren't humans all sadistic their own way? Sadistic means deriving pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others. People do that all the time. Humans laugh when they embarrass people, play a cruel prank or send hurtful messages, no? That was how John was, nothing more, nothing less.

When he was Renegade, he had to kill his 'lovers' a lot.

 ***Flashback start***

 _John laughed as he man twirled him around as they danced in a room that had silk falling from the ceiling. They could hear the music from the ballroom beside them. They had come to this room for privacy and so they could talk without distractions. The man lifted him up and swung him around, getting cute giggles from John. John wrapped his arms and legs around the man as he got dizzy. The man laughed at John and stroked his back as he stopped spinning. John leaned his head against the man's as he regained his balance._

 _"I'm so dizzy." John said as his head spun faintly._

 _"Well then, that's something you have to work on." He stated softly as he held him close. John smiled at him and laid his head against the crook of his neck, wrapping his arms around him. "I can't believe I met someone like you here, Tim. Everyone is so snobby around here. What brought you here?" John asked._

 _"Well, I was hoping I'd meet someone like you. You're the most interesting and beautiful person I've ever met." Tim said as he stroked John's hair. John looked away and blushed. "Hey, let's go outside, It's getting stuffy in here." John hopped off and grabbed his hand and led him out the French doors to the garden._

 _The garden had lights to brighten the path around the garden and a lake nearby that was surrounded by willow trees and looked beautiful in the moonlight, one of the trees had a swing attached to it. Flowers of a colours were everywhere in the garden._

 _They made their way to the lake where they sat down. "It's so beautiful out here." John awed. "It sure is." Tim said as held John's hand. John took in how tense Tim looked and how his eyes darted around the place. He was scared. John liked that._

 _John sat behind Tim and wrapped his arms around him. "What's wrong? You look tense." John asked, concerned. "I . . .I got myself into a bit of trouble." Words then started flowing out of his mouth. How he owed money to a loan shark. And how he was scared. John rolled his eyes, he knew the real story, Tim actually robbed a bank and the money belonged to Deathstroke, to be given for his contract he took. Tim just took it and got himself into trouble and was now acting as if he was the nice guy. John once again focused on what Tim was saying._

 _". . .The guy's name I Deathstroke. And now I just can't relax. Especially with his apprentice" Tim finished. John nodded, "I bet I can make you relax." John whispered as his hand slipped under Tim's shirt and ran up and down his toned stomach. Tim moaned his approval as John discreetly took out his knife._

 _"If I knew a way to solve my problems I would but right now…" Tim sighed and leaned against John. John stayed quiet for a moment before talking. "Next time don't steal from my Master. But I guess now you don't have a chance to right your wrongs…" John's hand pushed on his stomach so he couldn't escape and watched as his calm face turned into horror. Before he could say or do anything John brought over his other hand and slit his throat. John stood up as blood gushed out of his wound, smiling sadistically. A bit of blood splashed his face but he didn't care. He watched as Tim looked up at him with scared eyes. The longer he did the less amused John got._

 _Why wasn't he asleep?_

 _John finally got angry and pounced on him, bringing his knife down repeatedly, giggling as Tim let out strangled cries until he finally died down. John got off and looked down at his clothes, sticky, wet, bloody clothes. "Oh dear, now Wintergreen won't be happy. Sure I be worried, Tim? He always has a bit of a huff when I get my clothes dirty." John asked._

 _No answer._

 _"Tim, com' on. Answer me." John bent down and poked him on the cheek. "You seem cold. Hold on a second, I think I have something to warm you up." John took out a lighter and threw it and it landed on top of Tim's chest. Tim was soon engulfed in flames. "That should keep you warm." John smiled as he sat crossed legged beside Tim._

 _"Thanks for tonight too. I had fun, maybe we can see each other again. Let's sayyyy. . .next week?" John asked as he brought his head closer to Tim's. "Is that a yes? Great! See you then Tim. You really know how to show a guy a good time, until then." John cheered as he skipped away laughing._

 ***Flashback end***

André sat on his bed and looked through the journal and found very interesting things. This was going to be an eventful journey.

 _Rewind…_

 _The team groaned as the bright light hit their eyes. The room around them was completely white so that didn't help one bit. Only one room was like that to them and that was the medbay. They slowly sat up on their bed one by one_

 _"What happened to us? How did we end up here?" Roy asked, massaging his temples. "Morgan Le Fay happened. She successfully took the Aurora diamonds and put you all in a deep sleep. We came to retrieve you before the paparazzi could get to you instead." Black Canary answered as she and the mentors filled the room to check on their protégés._

 _"We are sorry, we failed to protect the diamonds." They all nodded except Rose. She actually looked okay with the situation right now. "It's ok. We'll take care of it." Batman stated, "Now the most important question is - where is John?" …_

* * *

 **So that was chapter 20, pretty short but I promise my next chapter will be longer by like five pages or so.**

 **As you** **can see in this chapter John is a bit crazy. He has his reasons why but I will not explain why. Yet.**

 **AND I would like to announce that grayson4life is the winner. The description will be added in the next chapter because I kinda wrote chapter 21 before I wrote this one… I'm very weird.**

 **So don't forget to READ &REVIEW!**

 **Blue out;]**


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 21 R**

 **Hey my little bluebirds!** **(So cute! XD)**

 **I'm back to present to you the next chapter for this luxurious story that is continuing on because of all of my readers and fans who stuck by me and still are so thank you very much and because of you I'm brainstorming more stories and started writing some to post on Fanfiction. net. Until then I will update this story and a few others.**

 **Hey I got this review from Crimson wolf and nightsnake about how my story has no plot and what not. The thing is that I do have a plot for every story I write, I just love to confuse all of you because I'm a bit of a bitch like that. #NoShame!**

 **I know how I write is messy but that's me. For you guys to get the entire story I linger to help you all understand and I don't stick to the point because then this would be a short story all together. Like would anyone read Harry Potter if it was just action wizardry fighting chapter after chapter. You all know the answer to that so I'm not going to ask.**

 **He/she also said that me saying that John can hold his breath for an hour he'd have to have lungs the size of whales. Well, . . . what's the point of fanfiction on a cartoon if you don't have fun with it!? And plus a record was given to a man for holding his breath for 22mins 22secs so why not add?**

 **Like for Nightwing before a Renegade, I got a review from Tt saying 'It's going too fast. I think you should focus on one POV'. I hate only staying in one POV because everyone has different thoughts and it's fun to write about.**

 **So I wrote him/her a pm telling them what I am explaining to you. Then they _aired_ me, in other words they gave me the scene, they probably looked at it and didn't bother responding because they knew I was right. **

**In short. . . I'm a bit of a fucker when it comes to writing because I'm probably going to have really bad things happen to John in this story that it will take over thirty chapters folks. I hope you don't mind me covering serious topics. . . if you're not I'm just gonna do it anyways XD**

 **And I kinda screwed you guys over in the last chapter or so about R19 and how he really got it implanted and why and how. Let's just gonna say that in a few chapters he's gonna be hungry for more than food. And no, it's not the booty X'D**

 **So sit back, relax and...**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

The team groaned as the bright light hit their eyes. The room around them was completely white so that didn't help one bit. Only one room was like that to them and that was the medbay. They slowly sat up on their bed one by one

"What happened to us? How did we end up here?" Roy asked, massaging his temples. "Morgan Le Fay happened. She successfully took the Aurora diamonds and put you all in a deep sleep. We came to retrieve you before the paparazzi could get to you instead." Black Canary answered as she and the mentors filled the room to check on their protégés.

"We are sorry, we failed to protect the diamonds." They all nodded except Rose. She actually looked okay with the situation right now. "It's ok. We'll take care of it." Batman stated, "Now the most important question is - where is John?" The team looked around them but there was no sign of him. The young heroes turned to Rose who was walking out of the room. They followed her as they asked the question again and again.

Rose sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. She decided to watch Hollyoaks, she really needed to catch up. "Now what were you saying?" Rose asked, her eyes never leaving the screen. "Where is John?!" They all said in unison.

"I dunno. Hey guys, have you John's name rhythms with a lot of things? Lawn, bike, tike, like, Ron, Bon Bon, . . . threesome . . ." Rose said nonchalantly. The crowd around her gasped and covered their mouths while some dropped open. Huntress fainted by Batman stopped her from falling.

"What?! I didn't say anything wrong, they do rhyme with his name. S- Nico killed Patrick goddammit. Maxine just buried him, it's your fault you raised a killer kid. This is why your dad locked you up and Dodger hates you and your incest daughter!" Rose screamed at the TV. This show always managed to work her up to the max. Especially Sienna and Maxine, good thing Dodger left.

"No they don't! Call him, text him, do anything!" Huntress panicked. Rose nodded and took out her phone to text John. She loved riling people up.

 _Hey John, where are you? Your parents are going crazy. They're actually about to faint here. I kinda told them your name rhymes with threesome. XD_

John replied straight away.

 _ **First of all they're not my parents. Second, my name doesn't rhyme with threesome. Third, I'm with . . . one or two people. *Lenny Face***_

Rose smirked, "He's fine, just hanging around with one or two people. It's fine." But yet they were still not convinced. "Call him or at least have a video chat." Batman said gruffly. Rose sighed and did as he asked but refused to put it on loud speaker.

"Hey John. They insisted that I call you. Now what are you doing?" Rose said in her chipper voice.

"Well you know, just hanging around with _Tommy_ and _Matty_." John or should I say 'Andre', said their names almost sexually.

"You bringing sexy back?" Rose asked in a singing voice which caught the attention of the adults around her to cover the children's ears before they could hear.

"Maybe." André said very sexually on purpose before laughing.

Just at that moment Batman grabbed the phone and the phone and held it between his and Huntress's ear.

"John, where are you and who are you with?" Huntress demanded.

"Just on a small vacation along with _Tommy_ and _Matty_." André said over the hushed voices coming from his line.

"Why is he saying their names sexually?" Huntress asked Batman, then asked John "Why are you saying their names sexually?"

"Saying what sexually? _Tommy_ and _Matty_?" André said to rile them up.

 **(A/N: Andre is John. Just saying that to clear things up)**

"Stop saying their names sexually" They growled.

" _Tommy_ and _Matty_?" André asked trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"STOP SAYING THEIR NAMES SEXUALLY!" They shouted, scaring the others around them.

"Whatever. Anyways I have to go, I wouldn't wanna miss my warmed up bed and you never know . . . maybe I'll get . . . _something more_." At the end André laughed almost wickedly before ending the call.

"..." The two were left shocked. Huntress then swiftly fainted while Batman was frozen on the spot. Superman waved his hand over Batman's face but he didn't respond at all. Then Superman he poked Batman's forehead causing Batman to fall in his frozen form and clatter on the ground as if he was glass bouncing off the ground several times before smashing.

 _"He kissed the boys and he liked it. Tasted just like cherry chopsticks. It didn't feel wrong, it totally felt right. I hope he doesn't get pregnant tonight. He kissed the boys just to try it and he liked it."_ Rose sang absentmindedly.

The team frowned at her but she didn't notice. She loved every moment of this, she used to do it all the time when he was Renegade. It was too funny to miss. Giving people heart attacks _*cough cough_ Frost _cough cough*_ were too funny. But seriously, Rose hoped he planned out everything before leaving.

"Why don't we check the security cameras from the party?" Rose suggested. By this time Huntress and Batman were up and definitely agreed. Batman connected his hologlove to the TV and searched for the footage from tonight. It took about forty seconds for Batman to find it. He played the clip for everyone to see:

 _André walked around with Renzci from floor to floor. They talked and took no notice of the men fawning over Andre and followed him with more than having a chat in mind. They were like zombies trailing behind but with love hearts as eyes and dreamy looks on their face. It was unbelievable the number of people had their eyes on him. Women admired him from afar while the men were up close._

"Oh my God, he doesn't know he's a walking magnet. God, help this child." Black Canary cried as Green Arrow sat her down. The others nodded.

 _André and Renzci walked deeper down the third floor and came to a room full of people but also had a pyramid that had platforms glowing a white light as it rotated._

 _"Time to get rid of unwanted attention, Renzci. I'll see if I can catch up with you later." André said as he walked away. Renzci nodded and held out her foot which caused some of the stalkers to fall before slipping away like nothing happened. Andre stepped onto the rotating platforms and walked around making sure the men were following him and for sure they were._

 _André walk almost looked like a sexy strut as he sped up his pace a bit. He smirked as he was met by an obstacle that could get the men off his back. Andre stepped over the black chair easily and hopped off the platform. Just as he turned around all the men fell over the chair like dominoes. André smirked and stepped out to the balcony._

"Oh Hera! He's flaunting his sexuality and using it for evil." Wonder Woman gasped. **(A/N: Really, what have you been doing, you prostitute. *Eye-roll*)** "He is never leaving the mountain when he comes back. I'll lock him up if I have to." Batman growled. The others slowly backed away from him just in case.

 _He dropped his André act and turned back into John. He sighed and sat on a thick stone railing as he took out his phone. "Hello . . . yeah it's me . . . no not yet, I'm pretty certain that they're here. . . anyways, I needed to ask you a favour . . . I need you to pick me up around 11 . . .. I'm not doing anything illegal, A. . . . just going on a weeks' vacation . . .. thanks, A. . . . No I'm not kissing anyone or bringing them home. . .. Bye."_

 _John ended the call and looked up at the camera. "Sorry Batman, you not going to ruin my plan. Until then Batman." John took red x off his shirt and threw it at the camera, killing the feed._

"Why does he have to be so smart? Why can't he be a normal 13-year-old kid with an average IQ? Why can't he accidentally leave clues to wear he's going?" Batman sighed in frustration. "Hold it! He's a 13-year-old and we lost him." Flash shrieked, "He wasn't past ten when Deathstroke got his hands on him. Oh Lord all mighty."

 **(A/N: Bangles - Eternal Flame. I love old songs so much. No wonder people thing I'm weird. XD)**

 _"Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling. Do you feel my heart beating? Do you understand? Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming or is this burning an eternal flame? I believe it's meant to be, darling. I watch you when you are sleeping, you belong with me. Do you feel the same? Am I only dreaming? Is this burning an eternal flame?"_ Rose sang, distracting them from their parental worrying.

"ROSE!" They all shouted. Rose pouted and muttered under her breath about parental maniacs. Then went back to screaming at the TV.

"SHE KILLED TREVOR! SHE'S NOT YOUR DAUGHTER! SHE'S A DEMON! WHERE'S YOUR BIBLE AND HOLY SULFUR ACID WATER!"

 ***BREAKLINE***

André was currently leaning against the window with his legs taking space on the attached chairs. He was having a light nap before their journey to find to Aurora diamonds that wasn't going to be easy at all. Andre knew he was going to have to equip himself with a lot of equipment and weapons. If this as an easy mission he'd laugh his head off.

André felt someone move his legs and place them back down on their lap. André opened his eyes slowly and smiled as he leaned his head against the wall. "Hey, sleeping beauty." Matthew teased but yet it didn't sound like he was joking in any way; it was as if he was telling the truth. "Hey." André yawned and wrapped his arms around himself. "We're nearly there. We have a drop point where we can get changed and ready for the journey. You gonna be up for that now?" Matthew asked.

"Yeah, I will be ready for it. Nothing I can't handle." André answered as he pushed the hair aside from his eyes so he could see easily. Matthew froze for a minute as Andre did this, he never noticed how beautiful brown eyes Andre had. _'Golden hazelnut coloured eyes'_ , Matthew noted. "Is something wrong? Hey Matthew, can you hear me?" Matthew snapped out of his trance and noticed that André had a worried look on his face and his soft hand was on his cheek and his left on his lap.

"I... yeah I-I'm fine." He stuttered as his face slowly turned red and hot. "You have a bit of a temper. You need some rest but if you aren't feeling good at all we could just turn back." André said as he felt Matthew's forehead. Matthew thanked God that André was oblivious to his blush. "I'll be fine by the time we land, there is no way I'm missing in on the action and I know how much this means to your family." Matthew said, putting his hand over André's. André thanked him and gave him a big hug, thanking him again and again.

Matthew hugged back and closed his eyes as he buried his face in André's hair. And wouldn't you guess, not only was it the colour of cherry red, it also smelled like cherries. "We're landing in two." Tommy called out. André took Matthew's hands in his and pulled him up and made their way through the plane to find Tommy. Tommy was already at the plane door as it landed. Tommy opened the door and politely let André out first before Timothy and he followed.

"Nothing like being in Spain to brighten your day." André laughed and blinded the brothers with his bright and beautiful smile with his pearl teeth.

 ***BREAKLINE***

It was the next morning with the team and they were missing John already. They wanted him back at the mountain where they could strangle him then tell him how much he meant to them. Lock him up and just and just smother him with hugs. But no, he just had to leave to do whatever.

Why they felt like that? They didn't know. It was probably because they found him as their brother. But it was obviously clear that John didn't feel that about them. You'd probably have to kill him before he could admit it. . . you'd probably have to kill him before he said a lot of things actually. . .. if that was a normal thing to do.

Goddammit! Why did he have to make them feel these feelings when he barely showed them any?! It made no sense! It's. . .

Ridiculous!

Preposterous!

Ludicrous!

It's Ridistercris!

Stupid, mysterious, charming, emo, anti-social, loving, cute, evil, quiet, gothic, John. They wanted to know he was safe but he gave them no contact and wasn't picking up Rose's calls or text.

He was smart, toooooooo smart. He knew if he called then it would mean Batman would be able to track him down and drag him back. He probably picked up Rose's texts and calls because he was on a plane or something in the middle of nowhere with two boys who he would say their names sexually. Good thing he's not a troll.

 ***BREAKLINE***

André and the two brothers walking through the city of Calaciete (Aragon) to their hotel where their equipments would be. A beautiful village of many ancient buildings of great architectural value in the town, as well as the ruins of an ancient Iberian village at Sant Antoni. It was in the northeast and had a beautiful view of the mountains and looked majestic when the sun set. It also had beautiful flowers around, attracting all the butterflies from all around.

André loved it from what the brothers could tell. He was skipping ahead of them and running around slowly, curiously stopping around small markets on the street and having butterflies landing on his shoulder. But he attracted more than that, he attracted people with his beauty. People and kids would stop him to talk and some of the marketers even gave him some jewellery that were rare and some artefacts and heirlooms that would make him richer than the brothers.

He happily took them and smiled as he thanked them. Some would go so far as to flirt or make him laugh but as soon as they saw the brothers glaring at them, they'd say goodbye and leave. André then would then pull a cute confused look and shrug before he went to the next place his excitement and curiosity would lead him. He was like a kid on Christmas morning, just a ball of energy, beaming, bright, beautiful energy.

It wasn't long before they reached their destination. "We're here, Hotel Cresol!" André sighed in relief, rubbing his shoulder, "My bag was getting heavy." Both of the boys smiled and offered to carry it for him. André carefully handed them the bag and made sure they were capable. They both acted as if the weight wasn't too much but as soon as André turned away they stumbled but soon steadied themselves quickly when Andre turned; they smiled and caught up with him to show they had no problem with it. They were wondering how Andre was able to lift it, it weighed more than both of them put together.

Outside the building they were met by a woman. She wore a black tank top, green combat trouser along with black boots. She had brown hair, cedar coloured eyes much like Matthew and Tommy. It was then André copped on. "You're their mother, aren't you?" André asked as they stopped in front of her, not even giving her a chance to introduce herself.

She looked surprised but then laughed it off. "Yes, I'm Martha Lynch, the mother of Tommy and Matthew. You must be André Sterlin." Martha smiled. "Yep, nice to meet you." They shook hands and then they were motioned to come in. Martha fell back a little to talk to her boys. "A real catch isn't he?" She smirked when the two blushed and looked away. She then caught up with Andre so he didn't find anything suspicious.

She led them to the private section just for them. She brought them to the main room where they all took their seats. The boys were just happy they could drop the bag already and their mom could tell that much. She called out to the chef and he got his servants to bring out some appetizers. They came out with a platter of fruit, cheese, crackers and drinks. The servants were thanked before they left.

"So what brings you here? Tommy only told me that you, André, wanted to go on a journey for diamonds." Martha questioned. "Yes, we're going to find the Aura Diamond, not diamonds." André answered. "That makes no sense, there was absolutely no Aura diamond from the ruin where we found these diamonds." Martha said rather confused. "Exactly, they obviously hide the ultimate diamond but tricked everyone into thinking there was nothing else. The ones who hid it were smart to make it look like the only real deal." André stated.

 **(A/N: This isn't Andre explaining it to the mother but I just want to show you how they all decided to go to Spain. I'm too lazy to explain. XD)**

 ***Flashback start***

 _André walked through the tunnel to reach the 'Aurora' diamonds. The room and the leading way up to it was impressive. There was water illuminated by light on the corners of the room, the tunnel was just a full water. As soon as André stepped it the room the floor illuminated, as if he was walking on water but thank God there was a barrier between them or this room would be soaked. André was gonna be pissed if his outfit was ruined._

 _André slowly stepped towards the glass case in the middle of the room. Inside the diamonds were glowing, one coloured sapphire blue and the other a light emerald shade, if you looked closely you could see colour swirling around like the one seen in the night sky. The diamonds were cut to perfection, shining like a star but if you looked at the bottom tip of the diamonds you could see there was a substance in it that was odd._

 _He then noticed that between the two diamonds in the glass case was a journal. By the leather and the rustic look it was easy to tell it was old. André was tempted to just lift the case off but it was locked and it wouldn't look good for him if he smashed it. André let out a sigh, it was really upsetting. He needed his plan to work out. How was he going to win this game? Who would be his Victor?_

 _"Found the star attraction, I see." Tommy said as he appeared behind André, gazing at the diamonds. "They really are." André said softly, wrapping his arms around himself. They just stared at the diamonds in silence, thinking and admiring._

 _Tommy was thinking about what he should say. Being alone with André was making him nervous in a good way but still a bit scary. It was the first time he felt like this in front of a person, his throat was dry, frozen, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering whenever André eyes met his but they'd go at the sound of André's voice. was this a normal way to feel? He had many people flirt with him but he felt nothing for them, not that they weren't nice, but, what made Andre different? What made him as lovable and attractive as he his?_

 _"Here." Tommy said, leaning over André, opening the glass case with a small key. He then stepped forward and lifted out one of the diamonds. "Wanna hold it?" Tommy asked, holding out the precious diamond toward André. André backed away, his arms hugging his sides. "I don't think I should. I-" Tommy stopped him saying "Don't be silly. ". Tommy gently pried André's hand from his hip and guided his hand to the diamond. Once it was on the diamond, he took his other hand and placed it on the diamond as well._

 _"See, it's not as scary." Tommy soothed, trying to reassure himself but André as well. André let out a shaky breath before smiling nervously at Tommy. "Nothing can compare to this." André commented as Tommy moved around the case. Tommy let out a laugh as if he was told a joke. André gave him a confused look, his head slightly tilted, his eyes asking what he found funny. "Then you simply haven't counted yourself in. Nothing compares to you, not even a valuable diamond." Tommy answered but mentally slapped himself for adding the last part. It just completely came out without his permission. Him and his big mouth!_

 _André's eyes widened a bit before he bowed his head as his blush almost covered his whole face. Tommy happened to see it causing him to be in shock. He never expected André to blush. . .it kinda suited him with his cute complexion. He watched for a second as André practically looked to the side as if he could feel Tommy's eyes on him._

 _"So, I heard that you, Andre Sterlin, have gone on journeys. What was your favourite?" Tommy asked._

 _"Um, well I'd have to say the Samurai Burial ground. The story behind it is that on the lone island lived a woman and her two best friends who were both samurai. She would play her flute for them as the trained and in return, the two would help her with anything she struggled with. One day their island had unwanted visitors, the sword wielders that came on the island had a master that wanted to take the lady's hand in marriage whether she wanted to or not. The two samurai took on the sword wielders and defeated them but with the price of their lives. The woman was heartbroken, she created a burial for them, their armour in a spacious rectangle wooden cases, if you can call it that. She would continue to play her flute for them until she died. The spot she died on was in the middle of the two and in that spot a beautiful tree was created. They say if the sun rises and your between the two that you can hear her flute being played._

 _We didn't have the heart to take anything from the place, we just left it alone._

 _I guess I like this story is because it shows that when it comes down to it, there's love. I dunno, I guess I'm just a sappy person that way but that's just me in general. It's just amazing what love can make people do. I know it's a sappy story to fall for" André said, smiling faintly as he watched the swirls in the diamond in his hands._

 _"It's not sappy at all. It's sweet. There's not a lot of people who would care about the story behind the treasures they find. You're one of the genuine ones who would think about it before taking it. The world needs more people like you" Tommy smiled, causing André to blush again. Tommy walked over to him and lifted his bowed head. André looked up at him with his huge, wondrous eyes. "There's no need to be nervous around me, I can tell you that much." Tommy said softly. André smiled cutely and nodded, looking at the floor for a few seconds before meeting Tommy's gaze. He only now noticed that Tommy's hand was now on his neck, slightly stroking his skin._

 _Tommy didn't know what he was doing anymore, he was just so perplexed by him. His smile, his eyes, just all of him in general was amazing. They were so close to each other right now, so close they were breathing the same air. Their heads moved in slowly; their lips brushed past each other before they actually touched. The kiss was simple, gentle and sweet._

 _Tommy felt so…so…amazed. André's lips were soft, warm and plump against his. So welcoming to his and willing. Tommy didn't want the kiss to end but it would have to end soon. The sparks that he got were real and colourful, just complete explosions around them._

 _They were both shocked out of the kiss when they heard to the door open. Matthew came in and waved at them. "Hey, Matthew." André smiled as he waved back. "What's up, Matthew?" Tommy asked. "The party's dead. I was wondering where the fun went. Seems I found it." Matthew smirked as André's cheeks splashed with a tinge of pink._

 _Tommy felt like punching his brother's face and kissing André, making him watch, showing him that André was his but he couldn't control what he wanted. If André liked him he would come to him; all he could do was wait and wait he would._

 _Tommy stepped back as Matthew moved closer to André and accidentally dropped the journal from the column. André bent down and gently picked it up and examined it. "So this is the journal that helped you guys, huh?" André asked as he placed the diamond down into the glass case. "Yep. It was pretty hard tracking the Aurora diamonds down with Sir. Francis riddles." Matthew said as André_ _opened the journal and slowly flicked through._

 _André noticed that as he got to the middle page, it was faintly glowing blue depending on how he moved. André knelt down and leaned the page against the water floor. "Come take a look at this." André said. The boys leaned over André and looked. There was a hidden message._

" _It's written in Latin._ _ **Whoever has found this, shall be given power to see what I have seen, feel what I have felt and will have ultimate control. The aura is a colour splashed on a canvas alongside with secrets hidden so delightfully divine. At the stay where blue stones are visible in crescent. The location in the village of set with an arch of stone you must enter to find the clues you must find that will show your encounter**_ **.** " _André translated._

" _Seems like there's more to this treasure than meets the eye. Ready for an adventure, boys?" André smirked as he looked up at the brothers._

 _The brothers looked at each other before nodding. "Totally."_

 ***Flashback end***

* * *

 **I'm finally done this chapter! YAY! It took me long enough to do so. I'm actually chuffed but a minute later annoyance will kick in because I'm gonna have to write another chapter. XC**

 **Anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it took me nine fricking pages to just do this. I will try to work faster. Keyword: Try, it's not gonna be easy.**

 **I wanted to show you in this chapter how John can manipulate even brothers into loving him and how devious he can be. The few next chapters mean a very devious John and maybe a phone call for the team to settle their worries for now. John can change his personality fairly quickly and can turn it on and off in a blink of an eye. There's just so many things he can do to manipulate and get what he wants for the sake of a mission. But if you read this open minded you'd see that he is being very loyal and would travel to do something dangerous just for the Mentors and protégés. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE!**

 **I haven't brought up Melissa in a while. Should I bring her up next chapter or not? Your decision.**

 **AND I'd like to announce that grayson4life has won the very small competition I held. Well done! I was actually shocked when I saw her age and she guessed I was seventeen. I could never be that age. In my mind I'm nineteen but right now physically I'm only fourteen! XD**

 **Grayson4life right now I feel worried. In my mind I'm just like my yaoi story has smut. Is it going to be read by her?! I'm scared but find this funny too. P.S. I will send you a pm explaining a blurb about what's going to happen in the new book, actually I'll send you a few names of my book and you pick which one you'd like dedicated to you. If that's ok.**

 **Don't forget to** **READ &REVIEW!**

 **Blue out;]**


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER 23 R**

 **Hey my bluebirds!**

 **I'm back with another chapter for you guys. If I took long to upload this, I'm sorry. I am just a busy bee and I have a lot of homework and I don't like weekend homework as well. But what can I do about it?**

 **Anyway, I own nothing except the plot, OC's, how Dick looks, his behaviour and blah, blah, blah…**

 **So, sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **No POV**

John let his happy façade of André fall as he entered his room and locked the door. He felt guilty for not letting the team not know if he was okay. Guilty? John knew he shouldn't have let them know anything about him or his past. Stupid emotions.

John took out his phone and sat down on his bed as he dialled Rose. He put the phone to his ear but soon regretted it as Rose screamed.

" _JOHN IS ON THE PHONE!"_ Rose screamed before she paid attention to him. _"Skype us right now!"_

John rolled his eyes and cut the line. He too out his tablet and did as Rose said. She answered the skype call straight away. John leaned against the bunch of pillows.

"Hey" John greeted as he saw everyone gather up to see him.

An explosion of screaming and scolding and questions from the mentors and the young heroes. John gave them a look that said _'I will end this call if you keep on talking.'_ They all stopped talking straight away.

"Where are you?" Robin asked.

"In a hotel room." John answered.

"Why did you leave? And why did you tell us not to worry" Conner asked.

"I left because I had a few things to do. I told you not to worry because they weren't the real diamonds." John responded. The team were confused.

"You stole the real ones, didn't you?" Batman stated more than he asked. John nodded and acted as if it was a normal thing to do. Maybe he was still ok with the rules Deathstroke drilled into his mind. He needed to see that it wasn't.

"Yep and swapped them with fake ones. I then found out why Morgan Le Fay wanted the diamonds. She wanted them because once they combine they can be used as a key to reveal the Aura Diamond. What it does, I'm not sure yet but I'm figuring out." John explained as he showed them the journal.

"Why didn't you tell us? We would have sent the team with you. Then the mission would be in a shorter time." Huntress frowned.

"If you haven't noticed the team have two left feet. They can't keep poker faces; they would trust anyone and blab it out. Plus, there are people that want the treasure we're going for which means guns, bullets and a lot of fighting.

None of the team would be able to take it and don't possess the skills needed. Kaldur and Megan wouldn't survive the heat waves and would slow down the rest. Artemis and Robin and Rose are used to running on stable ground and jump rooftops, if they were to come they wouldn't be able to adapt. Conner wouldn't be able to use his powers or he'd give away the whole mission so he'd be completely useless along with Wally. The only one I would recommend would be Roy but I know Batman would place a tracer on him without him knowing which means he would send the team and ruin the mission.

So, if you think about it, I'm the only option left. I have skills required for this mission. I can shoot and fight without giving away how skilled I am. I can climb with no assistance from a grappling gun. I can memorise my surroundings and I have methods of escape that some find impossible. When it comes to danger I don't panic but think rationally." John explained.

The others sighed, knowing that they lost the argument against John. Who could ever win against John anyways? He had all the odds in his favour and he always would. He just had that knowledge he shouldn't have that shocked people into silence.

"Just be safe. Going on missions alone are dangerous." Rose whispered.

"I will be and I'm not going alone." John shrugged.

"But what if Tommy and Matthew don't want to give you the diamond?" Batman challenged.

"Trust me when I say I _never_ take no for an answer." John said, his eyes glinting darkly. The heroes tensed up a bit, when John's eyes went dark it meant trouble. John's eyes reverted back as he heard the knock at the door. John stood up and left the view of the others to answer it.

The team could hear muffled noises but no speech could be heard. After a minute or two John returned.

"I have to go but I'll stay in contact and send you a digital version of the journal so if you find anything extra you can inform me. But for now, can I talk to Kaldur alone?" John asked.

"Um . . . sure." The others reluctantly walked away, leaving Kaldur and John alone.

"Kaldur I remember on one of the days that I was in a coma that you came and asked for advice. The only advice I can give you is that you're doing a good job in leading the team. It doesn't matter if there are elements you're not familiar with, it's a part of growing. Trust me when I say it's not easy to adapt when your starting out. And it doesn't matter that you lost her to your best friend, you deserve better and one day you will find someone better. Just remember that." John then ended the call, leaving Kaldur smiling.

John closed his tablet and let out a sigh, he hated emotions. They've been his downfall for years. The only thing he could thank them for was making him realise his love for Melissa. He missed her, her smile, the way her eyes brightened up when she was happy, just her everything. He'd call her later today if he had the time. Right now, he just wanted to sleep and forget everything.

 **(A/N: I just want to state that Tommy and Matthew are more muscular. John looks like he has a normal, toned, body but it he knows how to tone it down so he looks natural by meditation.)**

He stood up and took off his t-shirt and his trousers. He wore grey, baggy tracksuit bottoms that fit snug around him and stopped just below his knees. He pulled the covers over himself after he closed the lights. He didn't close his eyes though, so many memories were going through his head. He and family came here for a holiday here before; it was a happy time. Everyone was smiling and laughing, no pain, no tears, no Deathstroke. So many memories, so little time. John closed his eyes at the thought of them.

 ***BREAKLINE***

The heroes felt way better now that John called them and informed them what he was doing. He always was a mysterious one, but, by him informing them, did that mean that he was opening up to them? Could they bring back the old him and keep him like that? He just seemed so sad and was surrounded by solitude and silence. Rose always said he was a happy guy, and so did, Melissa. How could a happy kid turn into an emotionless one?

They could just imagine his bright grins and smiles. John could seem to be a dark person but he cared, he just had his own way of showing it. He comforted people in his own way and was understanding. But when he got angry, he got angry. Thank God, he rarely got angry. He rarely felt anything but too bad it wasn't the other way around.

Artemis had ruined his notebook, Rose had done something unforgivable, Grant tricked him back to the house using Batman, the team blindly attacked him and they ratted him out to the league and he was forced to do nothing. Yet, he forgave them even though he was put through the pain.

They needed to show him that they were grateful and sorry for his forgiveness.

 ***BREAKLINE***

André was happily sleeping when he was woken up by a knock at the door. "Come in." He said as he hugged a pillow to his chest with his head against his main pillow, exposing his tanned back all the way down to the dimples at the bottom of his spine. He switched on the lamp beside him.

Matthew walked in and had to resist the urge to drool over the sight of André. He was just there, lying down, looking innocent. Matthew wished he hadn't of knocked after all.

"Hey Matthew, what's up?" André yawned before looking at the time, "It's only 4 in the morning." Matthew looked shocked. "Really. I opened my blinds and the sun was already out. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up. My mistake." Matthew apologised. "It's fine. Hey, hop in. There's no point in going back to your room if you're here, no?" André asked. After a moment of hesitation, Matthew slid into the bed, beside André.

"How are you feeling about tomorrow, Matthew?" André asked softly, turning to face him. "Well, um nervous, I guess. It's gonna be my first time so I'm excited, but I don't know how I'm gonna do out there." Matthew responded. André placed his hand on Matthew's and stroked it gently. "You'll do fine, Matthew. Do you really think that I would be here with you if you weren't inexperienced? You have all the potential for this, don't doubt yourself - I don't doubt you either." André smiled. "Thanks, that actually really helped." Matthew smiled. "Happy to help." André responded.

After a while of talking, they fell asleep, well _at least_ André did. Matthew silently watched him as his breathing got slower. He was so peaceful, so beautiful. If there was anything else in the world more beautiful than André would _still_ beat it by a mile. He was just perfect, – his striking eyes surrounded by some feminine features and small ruby red petals of lips he had, too delicate to be kissed by anyone not worthy his time – how could anyone be so perfect?

Matthew let out an almost silent gasp as André placed his head on his chest in his sleep. His bare skin warm against Matthew's chest. Matthew took a few deep breaths to keep his heart steady. He felt like he was about to burst from happiness. Matthew gave himself a pep talk before lying down. He soon relaxed and feel asleep.

The morning came quickly and the two weren't awake. Tommy, sent by his mom, went to wake up Matthew and André. He first went to Matthew's room but he wasn't there. Tommy taught nothing of it and happily went to André's room. He knocked loud enough to be heard and poked his head through the door. He had to mask his face to hide the shock. Matthew was in André's bed with him! No fair!

They both sat up, yawning, rubbing their eyes and stretching. Tommy stepped into the room and smirked. "Looks cosy, up for a threesome?" He joked, causing André to laugh but he blushed at the same time, his covers blocking a quarter of his face. Tommy felt the urge to pounce on him because that wasn't just a blush, it was a _virginal_ blush.

"Come on! Up, you need to have breakfast. Today's the day." Tommy reminded them. Matthew gasped as he remembered and sprinted out of the room, rambling about what he was gonna wear. André just groaned and created a cocoon around himself using the covers. "Hey, wake up." Tommy said as he poked him. "Too tired." André groaned. "Fine, you leave me no choice." Tommy grabbed the covers and picked up André, bridle style, into the bathroom. He managed to hold André and brushed his teeth for him. When he was done, he laid André back onto the bed and went through André's wardrobe and took a sleeveless back top and black and white squared slip-on Vans. He quickly put them on André then carried him downstairs to the dining room to have breakfast.

Martha raised an eyebrow, clearly amused as Tommy came into the room with the young boy. He sat him down on a chair beside Martha and made sure he was steady before sitting beside his brother. A second after that, André's head fell forward, banging against the oak table. He groaned for coffee but did nothing more. Martha chuckled, she remembered when she was like that.

A servant got him his coffee which he finished in one go, letting out a relieved sigh. "It's not good to drink coffee in one go, you know." Martha chuckled. "It's also not good to cross the road when cars are coming but we do it anyway." André countered with a smile. Martha laughed, she was fond of André already.

"Do you have a plan for your journey?" Martha asked. "Yep! Just leave it all to me!" André said enthusiastically. Martha for the next twenty minutes tried to pry it out of André but his pretty, little lips were sealed.

André looked up at the clock, "Time to get ready, everyone." He dragged Matthew and Tommy out of the room and into their separate rooms to get dressed. Five minutes later the two brothers were at the front waiting for André in comfortable clothes for the journey. "Are you boys ready?" Martha asked. They nodded confidently.

" Ready." They heard, the boy's mouths nearly dropped open and their mother just looked amused. André wore tight, light brown cargo pants with a black strap attached to his thigh and a belt with rope attached to it with a handgun and a detracted Bo staff, tall, brown combat boots, a white button down t-shirt and a short, sleeveless short jack with pockets, the same colour as his trousers and a red summer scarf made of light, see through material. He also changed his hair. His hair was now brown with a few hints of cherry red, tied up with a cute side fringe that covered his right eye.

He grinned brightly at them, "Ready to go?" He asked. The boys nodded and blushed, they were too shocked to talk. He then laughed and jumped down the steps down to them and dragged them to the jeep where their equipment was being loaded. "The sooner we leave, the better. We can't let anyone else get to the artefact before we do!" André said enthusiastically. They all hopped into the car and bid farewell to Martha as they drove away. It wasn't long before she was just a small spec and they were on their way to their destination.

 ***BREAKLINE***

The young heroes were watching tv that afternoon, they were bored and not interested in watching anything. They wanted John back, their depressed, little bundle of darkness. Their brother. They'd never say that out loud though, John would probably kill them because of it. He wouldn't even acknowledge them as his friends, just colleagues. He would get annoyed, dark or angry if they tried to state it or make him see they were friends. Just imagine what he'd do if they called him family.

They wanted him to be able to see that they were family. They went through so much with each other and were as close they would get. He needed to open to them, they could help him through his problems and show him that they cared for him. But trying to convince John was like trying to convince a brick wall to move. He would refuse and win the arguments with his knowledge. He was yet to lose an argument.

Rose phone then rang; she lazily took it out of her pocket but then answer immediately when she saw John's name appear on screen.

"John!" She cried out happily. The team immediately surrounded her as she put her phone on loudspeaker.

 _"Are you trying to make my ears bleed? You could try not screaming, you idiot."_ John snapped.

"Sorry, just got excited." Rose pouting.

 _"Whatever, why I called is very much beyond me. I just wanted to inform you this will be the last time I will contact any of you until my departure from this country."_ John said very formally and he sounded bored.

"WHAT! NO!" They all screamed.

 _"Stop. Screaming. Right. Now."_ John growled, _"Idiots, have you ever thought that you will make blow my cover with your pointless shrieks."_

The team frowned and stayed quiet; John seemed snappier then he'd ever been. John could somehow sense how they were sad about his outburst and sighed. 'Stupid feelings. What's the use of them?', He thought to themselves.

 _"I apologise for my outburst; as your kind of people say, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."_ John apologised, _"The American phrases make no sense whatsoever."_

The team smiled and laughed.

"So, when are you returning from your mission?" Kaldur asked.

 _"I believe in less than a month or so. Until then none of you enter my room, mess with my suit, touch my clothing, touch anything of mine and don't let the league into my room, mess with my suit, touch my clothing, touch anything of mine and God forbid my X-plane and the motorcycle and any electronics. If you touch anything, I'll know."_ John listed off.

"Fine." Rose groaned, she really wanted to wear Red X's suit.

 _"Say hello to the league for me before they go on a frenzy. Goodbye."_ John said and cut the line.

"Aww! He loves us." Rose cried out loud. The team smiled, maybe this was John connecting with them in his own way.

* * *

That was my chapter! Sorry I took forever, I have my semester exams in two weeks and they're practically told us that we have to learn everything from this year and last year. UGH! I'm just gonna wing it because I couldn't really care or study anyways!

I hope you guys aren't upset that I took this long! If you are just screan at me through your reviews XD I can take it!

Don't forget to READ&REVIEW!

Blue out;]


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 24 R**

 **Hey guys! I haven't updated in a while but I'm sick and I need to do homework so yeah! I hate my life right now. Being sick is the worst, especially if a sore throat is included.**

 **But I am here! \\*^*/**

 **Sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Johns POV**

I was only one person.

I was…human?

No, no, I was only a human. But, how many could one person have? How many could one deal with? Shall we go through some of the flaws, some of the pain. Ready?

I suffer from depression.

I'm masochistic, did you know that about me? I know, shocking, isn't it? It's why I can never take tortures seriously. I scream and writhe in pain but in truth, I just want to tell them to give me more pain, cut me some more. I guess I'm masochistic because the more pain, the more I'm immune. I'm not completely masochistic, just to an extent.

I'm sadistic. I don't know why? One side wants to see others in pain. I would feel my lips curl up into a smile and laughter would erupt out of me. I guess that was just my insanity flooded my blackened heart.

I also have PTSD because when I was young I was….

Also, later one my best friend went crazy and I killed him…

But before that I had asked Melissa out and we were happy together. We enjoyed each other company and was always together but I made time for my best friend of course. Why wouldn't I?

I noticed that something changed in him. He seemed predatorial, clingy and dark. He had a weird look on his face sometimes when he thought I wasn't looking. He was still a happy person but when Melissa was mentioned his tone changed, he sounded like he detested her in so many ways. I remember once that I went to the abandoned school and I was walking through but I felt like I was being watched. I peeked out the window and saw him on his bike, staring up into the window I was peeking out from. I was certain he couldn't see me since the window was covered in like brown transparent clothing.

His piercing eyes scared me but I was relieved when he left. I waited five minutes before I ran home. After that day, I never left the house to hang him alone. I went with either with my sister or Melissa. I always kept Melissa by my side, not trusting my best friend to be around him at all. If I left the room, then I'd bring her. If I had no choice to leave her in the room alone, then I'd hurry to do my task before sprinting back.

I would walk Melissa home to make sure he didn't follow every time. One day, when we were walking she said, "When you left me in the room with him…I felt like my life was on the line. He scared me and the way he was looking at me didn't help. He looked like he wanted to kill me. And when he smiled as I made small talk was like he was loving how uncomfortable he was making me. I don't trust him anymore. I…I don't want to be alone with him...I don't want to be alone with him acting this way…"

I comforted her and suggested that she should invite her family to stay with my family for a while. And that's what she did, we all had a great time but one day during the visit. I woke up in a broken-down building. I wondered how I got there so I walked around to find a way out where I was. I found a camera and used it for night vision. I soon found out that I was in an old asylum. I was walking through the women's ward but before that I saw several people in this asylum, they looked deformed. Most of them were crazy, one old mad chased him with a circular saw and tried to cook him in a stone back oven. In one of the rooms I was in I left adamant to leave but when I did there was this weird creature going side to side in every room. Once it saw me, it advanced quickly but I quickly turned and ran. I hopped into the vent of one of the rooms and crawled away.

Like I said, I was going through the women's ward and on the wall written in blood. It said, _"A women's work is never done"_ It was written in old blood but the next line was written in fresh blood. _"and neither is yours John."_ This made me cold all over. I sucked it up and continued to move one. I came to this room that smelled putrid, it was a medical area with beds and such. I walked through carefully and looked around for batteries as mine were dying.

In my mind, it all clicked then. This was exactly like the game 'Outlast'. I froze and started to shake violently. I dropped onto a bed and curled up, trying to calm myself down. I knew who brought me here.

 ***Flashback start***

" _My Darling, there you are."_

 _John and Eddie jumped back as they saw a man's face. He looked like he was burnt in a fire, from the way some of his skin was seared off. His eyes were blue but his white parts were red. His eyes were piercing John's eyes like dilated daggers. He wore a worn waistcoat, formal pants, and a purple, tattered bow. He was the definition of a zombie._

" _Oh crap, he's scary." Eddie laughed nervously._

 _He looked at John and struggled not to burst out in laughter. John was pressed fully against the couch. His head reeled back that it looked he had a double chin. His eyes wide. He threw the controller to Eddie._

" _I'm not doing this part. It's all you." John said, grabbing a cushion to squeeze out his fear._

" _You're that scared?" Eddie laughed._

" _Yes!" John shouted._

" _I know how I'm going to prank you one day now. I'll have you wake up in an asylum and I'll dress up as him and chase you around." Eddie said deviously with a lame evil laugh._

" _Don't you even try." John warned him._

 _Eddie was about to say something but he was hit with a pillow. "It's so one."_

 _They ended up having the longest and messiest pillow fight they'd ever had. Pillows were everywhere. But whatever, they'd blame it on Sparrow._

 ***Flashback end***

I stood up again and continued to walk. I clamped my hand over my mouth as I saw a female on an operating table. She was cut in several places, it looked like someone tried to make her look like a boy but gave up and killed her. I forced myself to go closer and as I did I noticed that she looked slightly like me, she had the same eyes and hairstyle and clothing.

My suspicions were confirmed.

I hurried along but soon saw Eddie, dressed in a worn waistcoat, formal pants, and a purple, tattered bow…He looked like he was burnt in a fire, from the way some of his skin was seared off. His eyes were blue but his white parts were red. His eyes were piercing John's eyes like dilated daggers.

I ran away from him and saw an empty elevator place. I jumped on the wooden ladder but it fell apart and I had a piece of wood in my thigh the next moment, just like in the game. But this time I didn't stop, I kept running but he soon found me. I was about to jump out a window, like the character did in the game but Eddie grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. He looked furious.

He started to say something but I wasn't listening, all I knew was that he was angry, he started to tighten his grip around my throat and squeezed. I struggled to breath and tried to pry his hand away but I was blackening out.

He seemed to realise what he was doing and apologising repeatedly. He looked worried as he saw me coughing like a hag. He gently caressed my cheek as I regain all the air I was deprived from. I knew I needed to play along if I was going to get out of here.

I told him it was ok and that I was sorry for running off.

He immediately opened up to me and spilled everything. Apparently, he was jealous and wanted me all to himself. He didn't want anyone around him. He wanted to be with me.

I told him that I felt the same way but didn't know he felt the same way so I gave up.

He was so happy about it that he hugged me. I used one hand to hug him back and used the excuse that my other arm had pins and needles but I was really just slowly looking for something to use to my advantage. I found a brick and gently and silently dragged it towards me to use later.

When he broke off the hug, I started to moved his hair out of his face as I took in his new looked. I wasn't sure what he did to himself but I wasn't going to ask. The feel of his face made me want to vomit but I pretended he wasn't at all sickening to me now.

"I'm so sorry, Ed." I whispered, placing my hand on his left cheek, using it to hold him in place without him noticing.

"No need to be. I fori-" I then swung the brick at his head. He fell over clutching his face and I took this opportunity to run for the window and jump out from the third story. I heard him curse at me as I landed clutching my right already injured leg.

With the adrenaline coursing through my veins, I ran all the way home. I thought that was the end but it was far from it. By a long shot.

Time passed but we clashed several times before this bog moment. All I could see in the burning building was my crying sister, my girlfriend dead on the floor and that possessive bastard.

I was so upset but I knew it was for the best. He backed me up against the wall. I fumbled around for something and I felt something cold. It was a gun surrounded by some bullets. I loaded the shells into the gun like I always did when I went hunting with my dad and aimed. I begged him not to come closer but he did…and I shot him with shaky hands. I thought it went through his heart but he survived, I didn't know that though. I was so numb. I walked out of the building, hearing muffled sirens and murmurs. I didn't stop walking until I was home. I climbed into my bed and slept. I woke up in the hospital, apparently, I had a serious concussion. I had to stay there for a few days.

I left a few days later and tried to pull my life together but the accident was what caused me to have PTSD. I would take just take a name or a look of fire to set me off. I'd be having a panic attack, vomiting, feeling nausea. I'd be rushed to the bathroom and leave after an hour when I finally calmed.

I was also forced to grow up fast. No five-year-old should have and I knew that so I tried to be oblivious to the hell around me and focused on being happy. Soon enough, I forgot that I was trying to be a kid and regained my childhood. Sure, I didn't like Mark but I just blocked him out. I continued to surround myself with my friends and happy thoughts.

But, some enough everything came crashing down. At one stage I became afraid of my own dad, uncle, and cousin. I would lock myself in my room and wouldn't come out. When I was out around the house, I'd be sitting down on the couch and stare out the window and black out completely. It took so long to get over my fear but I did it. I got over it and it made me so happy that I cried. But that didn't mean I was fully healed from that traumatic experience. It made my PTSD worse and gave me an eating disorder.

I refused to eat anything given to me. Even if it was just a piece of fruit off a tree. I refused it all. Everyone tried to get me to eat but I wouldn't do it, I was too scared it would happen again…

Soon enough, I started to get pale, I had slightly sunken eyes, I was becoming skinny and very tired. Everyone else decided of how to make me eat food. I was brought to the hospital by my mom and dad, they told me it was just for a check-up. I agreed, not that I had a choice in the matter. I got dressed and got into the car.

When we reached the hospital, mom and dad held my hands. I was confused why but I didn't bother to question what they were doing because I was tired. Did I tell you I am an insomniac? We were waiting in a patient room. We sat down on the bed but still my parents held my hands. It was only 5 minutes or so before the doctors came in with a machine of some sort. As soon as I saw the tube I knew exactly what the machine was used for. But as did my parents, they tightened their holds on me as I tried to get away and held me down.

It took three doctors to hold down my legs as I managed to hit two doctors on the solar plex. It took two doctors to hold my head down, two to forcefully pry open my mouth and one doctor to stick the tube down my throat. Liquidised food flowed down into my stomach and I hated it. I didn't want any food. I started to thrash about even more as I had another panic attack. I screamed and tried to get away as all my traumatic memories flashed through my mind.

It was a few minutes later when it was all down, I was let go and I just curled up on the bed and cried. My parents tried to comfort me but I slapped their hands away and distanced myself from them. I forcefully pulled myself together and stopped crying. I walked out with my parents but I refused to talk to them. I felt betrayed and so full that I felt like I'd explode. I wondered why I didn't vomit out everything like I would usually did so I figured they added some crushed pills to stop me from vomiting.

This happened several times that I had forced down my throat. At home when I'm not expecting it. At the times, I fell asleep and would wake up there or wake up feeling full. It all ended to same way, with me having a panic attack and refusing to let anyone comfort me.

It took four months of this before I forced myself to eat. I had a light salad in the morning. I was slowly eating it in the morning when the others when they discovered me eating a bit. They were so happy, so joyful that it made me sick. I was there suffering from several things while they were care free. It made me want to kill something again…

They asked me what brought me to eat and I wanted to say, "Well, it's better than having my trust broken every time and a tube down my throat." I really wanted to say that, to make them feel the pain I did…but I guess they already did when they died. I didn't know why but I just never spoke my mind before and never had the chance to, so, I never did. Instead I said, "For my own health."

They were so happy and showered me with attention…I hate attention.

Slowly but surely, I started to forget about the past and focused on getting myself back to normal. I ate little but I was getting better. My sunken eyes were no more but I was still an insomniac but the days I couldn't sleep on were specific days that scarred me. It could be a whole two weeks before I'd be able to sleep again. I hid it by going for a run early in the morning around 4:30 in the morning so the warm air could wake me up and then when I got home I'd have a cold shower then press cold metal against my bags to tighten up the skin. I'd seem happy and energetic for the whole day but inside I wanted nothing more than to break down and let my happy façade crack.

The only one who let me be my true self was Melissa when she came over. She would bring out the best part of me. She would set my room as a zone where we could forget all problems and just be who we wanted to be.

…

I also have Gemini Syndrome. Gemini syndrome is a bipolar disorder and a bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

Gemini are not two faced, they are multi-faced. If you have heard about Multiple Personality Disorder, a Gemini probably has it right from the moment they are born.

Subtle differences (quite noticeable to those who live with Gemini) can include a changed vocabulary, mannerisms, posture, affect, speed and tone of voice, sense of humour, clothing choices, values, beliefs, and opinions and even eye colour and appearance to those with heavy Gemini influence (usually in the ascendant) and can cause memory loss.

Sometimes in the morning I wouldn't be the same person I was yesterday. It has happened several times or sometimes during the day. It's hard having Gemini Syndrome but it can be used to help me at times. It's why I know what tone of voice and what actions can affect people.

I can't control what personality I harbour at all. Maybe that's why tears are falling from my eyes as I watch the man come out from the river of red. I couldn't bring myself to scream at him, or punch him or talk. I could only bring myself to fall to my knees and cry.

* * *

 **That was chapter 24 and I hope you enjoyed it but don't be fooled, I never wrote his full story on this chapter. I skipped along and gave you an inside. I know I'm a confusing person and yes I had that said to me.**

 **What happened that was so bad to be able to diagnose John PTSD?**

 **Who is the man?**

 **Who is the mastermind behind this all?**

 **And yes, I know, John has a lot of problems. I didn't notice I gave him these problems but when I read my work I noticed that I should list them off or you if you didn't notice them yourselves. I'm shocked he's not dead right now but we'll see in the future and…**

 **I AM NOT A DARK PERSON! IT JUST HAPPENS!**

 **It really does, I'm not doing this on purpose.**

 **Anyways, don't forget to READ&REVIEW!**

 **Blue out;]**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 R**

 **Hello guys!**

 **I'm back again with another chapter. This will probably be a short chapter just for today. I'm sorry I'm bad at keeping schedule but I'm one of those people who update when they get inspiration but I will try and try to update more.**

 **So, sit back, relax and…**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **John's POV**

I lied, you know…

I have many times…

I lied to the team, I lied to friends, I lied to the mentors, I lied about me, I lied to Rose, I lied to Jericho and Grant…

I lied to my family, I lied to myself, my childhood, the world.

I feel unable to say the truth, there is nothing that doesn't compel me not to say the truth but I rarely speak it and just avoid it. I see that the truth is the most valued but that is also a lie. No one values the truth. Everyone wants to hear a lie, a lie to help them stay oblivious, a lie to keep them from falling apart.

I fell apart a long time ago. I didn't like the truth that I, myself had asked for. It teared at me and plunged its claw into my chest and embedded itself into my heart.

I lied to myself about how I felt.

I lied to the pain and made it feel like grace.

And I manipulated my grace to become a reality.

That's all I am, a manipulating, deceitful person. Not because I want to be but because I'm afraid of my past repeating itself repeatedly.

I don't want to see my family die again, I don't want to be…again…

I lie to people and make them feel what they think is right. I just control and conquer what I need to. I am the one playing a game of chess, of course.

I learned how to play chess when I was six, my dad and I would always play. I would listen to every word he would say and put it into practise and it wasn't long before I saw some situations as a game of chess. Just wait for a move to be made then make one yourself. Never go first.

Have you ever wondered why my eyes are so bright? So, bright to the point that they scare whoever I stare at?

You don't know? It's because I lied, I lied so much that they become the truth to me and me alone. Don't try and give me truth because that is now a lie to me.

Lying is my nature and the King I am of it.

I am the King who will be left the only one left as the body of all the pawns are piled beneath me as I sit on my throne.

But even if I die, I _will_ come back…

I _will_ forever be the King who has no heir. I _will_ forever be the King written in history to be one to win. I _will_ forever be the King who welcomed Death to me and my soldiers.

But time will wear and when it does I will be replaced by…me.

When I die, there will be Red X.

When Red X dies, there will be Renegade.

When Renegade dies, there will be Talon.

When Talon dies, there will be Dick.

But when he dies, my true form will show…

My true form as the Grim Reaper.

* * *

 **No POV**

"André, you holding up?" Tommy asked, worried as André was falling behind. The two brothers had stopped to let André catch up but it seemed like he just stopped climbing altogether. His eyes looked blank, his face gave no sign of emotion.

"Yes, I'm fine." André smiled. André then leaped up to grab a rock and pulled himself up and started ploughing through the climb faster than the brothers. When he reached the top, he smirked down at the brothers who had their eyebrows raised up as far as their hairlines. He loved that look on people, made him _almost_ want to laugh.

"Come on, we can't keep him waiting." André called down, the brothers immediately started moving again. It took about five minutes before they reached André. Climbing over a mountain was hard, especially if there is no other way around through car. The cars had to go a longer way that would waste their time. André told them he already had someone waiting for them on the other side so they would be fine.

"How are you not sweating?" Matthew asked as he placed his hands on his knees to get in some air. The two boys were sweating a little bit but André didn't even break a sweat. He was perfectly fine.

"I've done this couple of times, it's second nature to me when it comes to climbing in any situation." André shrugged, "And sweating's not my thing."

He walked off chuckling with the brothers following. They had to make their way through a cave to reach the other side of the mountain and make their way down. They turned on their flashlights they clipped to their tops and traversed carefully. As they did, they saw several drawings on the walls from a long time ago.

They soon came to a room that had bones and skulls as decoration on the walls.

"I hate this room already." André frowned. He turned around to see where the brothers were. One of them were behind him, Tommy, and the other, Matthew was about to touch something. Before André could stop him, he pressed the pressure point. They all screamed as the floor turned into a slope and slid them down into the dark abyss.

* * *

"Come on, John, answer." Rose muttered to herself as she called John several times. She was worried for him. It had been a week since he last called and it made her worry to no end. Rose always got a chill down her back when something bad was about to happen, and this time she had a feeling that John was in trouble, or in danger.

She always got this feeling, she was connected to John through the feeling she got. John never felt if Rose was in danger. Even if he did, Rose doubted that he would act on it. He barely acted on anything but anger, command, or tactics.

Rose knew he would never help her unless he saw it was needed.

* * *

The trio landed in a cylindrical room, making a splash as their feet made contact with the ground. The room was built from bricks the same colour as sand. There Just as they landed the ceiling began to descend.

"Crap, we need to hurry right now. Find a way out quick!" André called out in panicked voice.

The three started to run around feeling the walls for an opening. As they did, they were forced to crouch as the ceiling continued to lower.

André scanned the room, his eyes lit up as he found their solution.

* * *

"Answer your phone, goddammit!" Rose cursed as she punched in John's number repeatedly.

The others worried for Rose, she was doing this for twenty minutes. She told everyone she had a feeling something happened to John but didn't know what. This made the team worry even more, she was never wrong when she got a gut feeling about something bad happening.

All they could do was prey that John was okay.

* * *

The water scooped the boys up and threw, tossed, and dragged them like ragdolls. No matter what they did, they couldn't grab anything and if they'd lose André. André was knocked out as soon as the water got them. He was also bleeding from his arm wound while stabbing at the clogs on the wall to stop the ceiling from crushing them. He stabbed and stabbed, even as the spike pierced him until the ceiling stopped moving. They all got on their knees and crawled through the opening that appeared when the ceiling stopped.

André went first and as soon as he was through he was slapped by the water and hit his head against the wall. Tommy and Matthew quickly used their legs to push themselves away from the wall and swam to get to André who was lying face down.

Rose was now on her knees crying as the feeling got worse. No one could comfort her, not even the mentors. The had to result in calling Grant, who calmed her down slightly but she would continue to mumble "He's not answering" repeatedly.

"Hey, he could just be busy." Grant suggested, "You know John by now, once he's in character he doesn't break out of it until he needs to."

Rose nodded and just like that, the feeling started to go away.

* * *

Matthew, Tommy, and André stumbled out of the mountain. The two brothers made sure André didn't trip over as he probably had a concussion right now. They were in all a right mess. They were wet, tired, sored and Tommy and André wanted to scream at Matthew.

Out there waiting for them was a man. He was a muscular man with slicked back black hair. He had grey eyes – one looked lazy – and a chiselled facial feature. He wore a white t shirt with khaki combat trousers and black boots.

"Dominic!" André cheered.

"Miss me that much." The now identified man chuckled as he picked up André bridal style.

"Oh, this is Tommy and Matthew." André added in.

The man nodded at them and told them they'd need to get a move on if they were gonna reach their destination. While Tommy and Matthew sat in the back while André sat in the front. The was a plastic barrier that kept them from hearing what each other were saying.

The brothers wondered why that would be needed in a car but soon shrugged it off as they drifted to sleep.

John looked back at Dominic after checking the brothers were asleep. He sighed and grabbed the gauze and began to wrap it around his bicep. He seriously hated being injured but that's what happens when going on journey's like this. He wanted to avoid things like this but right now he had no choice.

"Are you really going to continue doing this to them?" Dominic asked.

"Well Dom, it's a pretty simple game right now. Would you prefer if I told them the truth?" John countered.

Dominic shrugged.

"What would I say? Hey, just to let you know I have no interest in either of you. I'm just using you to get to the diamond. Come on! There's no need to look betrayed, let's keep going!" John said in a happy, enthusiastic voice.

Dominic chuckled, "I just don't want you to get a situation you can't get out of."

"I know." John answered.

A moment of silence fell between the two before Dominic broke it.

"Anyways, your phone was ringing for well over an hour." Dominic said, trying to change the subject.

John nodded and took his phone from the compartment. He unlocked it to check who called him. Dominic sparred a glance at John before he turned his eyes back to the road.

"It's...her, isn't it?" Dominic asked, sounding a little saddened.

"Yeah…I should call her back." John nodded.

"Could you…?"

"Sure"

* * *

John put his phone on loudspeaker as Rose picked up the phone.

"John!" Rose sounded like she had been crying but mostly relieved to hear from him.

"You called. Why?" John asked, getting straight to the point.

" _I wanted to know if you were okay._ " Rose informed him.

"Well I am s-" John was immediately cut off by Rose.

" _Don't you_ _ **dare**_ _try and end this conversation yet! You don't call for a week and think it's ok just to say 'Well I am' and end the call? I was worried sick about you!"_ Rose sounded like she was about to cry.

John could hear a cluster of footsteps coming towards Rose. This caused him to roll him eyes. Not only did he have to deal with an emotional ex-assassin but now a bunch of heroes who get attached to everything they see. Great!

" _JOHN!"_ John huffed, which really resembled to how horses would let out air through their nose. The comparison made Dominic smile.

"Frost. Go away." John bluntly.

" _It's Grant. I will not go away; don't you know what you did to Rose? She was crying just because you wouldn't answer the phone. You could have at least answered earlier."_ Grant said in a stern voice.

"I never asked her to worry over me. That is strictly her fault." John said plainly.

" _John, please. You worried us all, we just want you back. You're our little brother."_ Megan said, trying to reason with John. Apparently, she missed the shushing noises and whispers say _'No, no, no. Don't say that!'_ several times.

John's eye twitched dangerously.

"Don't you dare even insinuate that I'm a part of your so called 'family'." John hissed.

 _"Don't act like that, John. You need family."_ Rose said, feeling rather agitated.

"I did. You killed the last two, remember?" John deadpanned.

 _"How much longer are you gonna throw that at me? I had enough!"_ Rose growled.

John raised his eyebrow. When had he ever thrown that in her face? He never did such a thing. Instead, John would ignore her, so what was she talking about? Or… what is she hiding? If Rose was in front of him, he'd be able to tell in a heartbeat that she was hiding something. Good thing he had access to the monitors. John took out his laptop and got into the surveillance, he could see that the team and Grant were huddled around Rose. They all calm, a bit worried but neutral. Rose on the other hand looked nervous. She was sweating slightly, was fidgeting, and was looking at everything but refused to meet the eyes of her peers. She was certainly hiding something.

John would play along for now.

"Until the very end, Rose." John answered.

 _"Let it die!"_ Rose said angrily.

John was close, he knew it. Just one more push…

"No, not until you die." John continued.

Snap!

 _"I had enough of you! I said I'm sorry already. Why can't you just forget!"_ Rose talked faster and faster as she got angry, _"I just want to forget about it but you won it let me! Hew about you grow up and forget it! I don't care that your family was killed, I don't care if they died a second time! You should be happy Shade took you in and thought you something! NO! You should have killed yourself before ever meeting us! Jericho is right about you! Why I do-"_

"For a second time?" John pressed on.

 _"What?"_ Rose asked, trying to play off that she didn't say anything.

"What do you mean, Rose? Please elaborate." John said silkily.

Rose froze up, she knew that tone from a mile away. It was the tone Slade would use if someone was stepping on the danger line. That tone was serious, it was a tone that promised pain and regret for the person on the receiving end. She had to stay strong though and steadied. She had nothing to fear…right?

"Roseline Wilson Worth. Don't lie to me." John said.

 _"I'm not lying."_ Rose said strongly.

"I can see you, Roseline. I can see the signs." John countered.

 _"N-"_

"We'll talk about this when I get back." John then cut the phone.

* * *

"You really think she is a part of all this?" Dominic asked.

"I know she is." John answered, "You can't convince me otherwise."

Dominic opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He wracked his mind to find something, anything to lead it away from the young girl but couldn't. Either way, he tried and tried until he found something.

"Are you saying that to make yourself feel better after all the manipulation you've done, Dick Grayson?" Dominic pressed.

"Are you saying this because you still have a soft spot for your daughter and two sons, Slade Wilson?" John countered right back.

The two smirked, they always tried to make light of things if needed.

* * *

 **That was chapter 25 and I hope you enjoyed it! I took a long time** **writing this but it was worth it! And that's what happens when you're sick with a stomach infection and on your time of the month that is hated by every female on Earth who gets cramps and pains.**

 **And yes, I know, you guys are probably like "Slade?! WHAT?!" You guys probably think that Slade and John are working together to kill the heroes or something but I won't tell you for now! You're gonna have to figure it out like everyone else.**

 **Don't forget to READ &REVIEW!**

 **Blue out;]**


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